Nagpur: In what can be termed as most unfortunate, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has not distributed cash prize and certificates to winners of its Smart City Idea Challenge Competition held a year ago, which is one of the major steps to get selected into the central government’s Smart City Mission. Even, the civic body did not incorporate ideas of winners and also did not appoint them Smart Ambassadors of Smart City Plan as announced during the competition.As made mandatory by the government for public participation, the NMC had organized the competition in August last year. Ideas were invited from interested individuals and organizations on Smart City Mission. A total of 1,365 ideas were submitted out o which 20 ideas were selected by the NMC. The persons who submitted the ideas were asked to make presentation before a high-profile jury on November 25, 2015. Then the NMC announced 10 winners including ‘Jhakkas Idea’ winner, 1st, 2nd and 3rd runners-up and six more winners. Even, the NMC displayed the list on its website in February this year. All ten were supposed to be appointed as Smart Ambassadors.Winner of ‘Jhakkas Idea’ Gaurav Chouksey, resident of Corporation Colony , told TOI 10 winners are yet to be given cash prize, certificates and other appreciations. “NMC told us cash prize for winners was Rs1.25 lakh. Also NMC claimed winners’ ideas will be incorporated in Smart City Plan. NMC also claimed 10 winners will be appointed as Smart Ambassadors whose role will be to oversee plan, implementation, spread awareness among the citizens about ideas and Smart City Mission. Nothing came from the NMC despite being a year now. We contacted the NMC officials so many times who used to coordinate with us and got nothing concrete out of them. They said they had not heard from their bosses on the competition,” he said.Graduate from IIT Powai Chouksey had submitted idea of Smart Traffic Management. “All of us who were winners and also participants feel as cheated by the NMC. Consultants are appointed and paid in crores for the same thing that we did. All the ten winners are in contact with each other and may plan for filing PIL against NMC,” he said.1st runner-up was Mandar Tulankar who submitted idea of ICT generation of electricity. Shockingly, the NMC did not incorporate the idea in Smart City Plan but now railways have given him chance to display his innovative concept at railway station.Another winner Shravan said it was now clear that NMC conducted the competition not for public participation but just for publicity. “I engaged myself totally in the competition for 3 or more months. I submitted idea of Smart Streetlight System. NMC itself organized the competition and gave all assurances. I was studying in VNIT at that time and now completed my degree and am working in Pune. I would have loved to serve for the city in case NMC adopted our ideas as assured during competition,” he said.21-year-old student of Ramdeobaba Engineering College Ameya Deshmukh was among 10 winners and submitted idea of waste management collection, transportation and disposal. “We received no communication from the NMC since presentation in November 2015. I contacted them for several times and always told felicitation will be done followed by all appreciations. We had no such expectations from the NMC,” he said.Municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar told TOI he will check about prizes and certificates status. “I think winners were given prizes and certificates. We will incorporate the winners’ ideas while preparing the detailed project report that will be done in coming days. We will also appoint them as Smart Ambassadors once the project is executed at ground level. I will also check why our officials are not in contact with winners,” he said.