PUNE: The preliminary work of the second phase of the Smart City project is likely to begin soon, guardian minister Girish Bapat said on Friday.He convened a meeting of the advisory forum of the Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited (PSCDCL) and he told the authorities to speed up the work of the first phase of the project. Bapat said preparations for the second phase were expected to begin in the next couple of months.The minister said he would hold meetings every two months to review the progress of the work and clear the hurdles coming in the way of its execution. He also told the PSCDCL authorities to ensure better coordination with the local elected representatives, including MLAs and corporators, while executing the project.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Bapat said, “The second phase of the project is expected to begin in 2019-20. The planning will begin in the next two months. Discussions will be held on the scope of the project and the areas of inclusion.”He told the PSCDCL to prepare a list of projects awaiting clearance from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). He also urged the officials to speed up the road work taken up in the Aundh-Baner-Balewadi area.PSCDCL chief executive officer Rajendra Jagtap said around Rs393 crore was received by the Centre, state government and the municipal corporation. Around Rs117 crore has been spent on various projects till date. Seven projects have been completed, 26 have been taken up for implementation and around 17 are at the tendering stage.

Stay updated with all the Pune Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.