PM Narendra Modi, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar at Gurgaon’s Sultanpur village, Monday. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)The Kundli-Manesar section of the Western Peripheral Expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gurgaon Monday, completing the peripheral expressway ring expected to reduce vehicular congestion and pollution in Delhi.
In an attack against previous governments for failing to complete the expressway on time, Modi said they followed a culture of “latkaane, atkaane, aur bhatkaane”, and that the manner in which the project was handled “is a case study” that shows “how people’s money is wasted”.
“Today’s occasion is an opportunity to recall two images. One is of the present, when a resolution is made regarding a task, and is accomplished. The second is of the past, and reminds us of how work was done… by earlier government,” said PM Modi.
“That image reminds us that work was being done on this expressway for 12 years. That you should have received this expressway 8- 9 years ago. This expressway was supposed to be used in the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said this was the beginning of the 2019 poll campaign: “I believe we will consider this the start of the 2019 elections campaign from this gathering, and our next government in the country will come not only with absolute majority, but will win 350 Lok Sabha seats….”
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted that the KMP expressway had not been tested by engineers, that a third-party consultant had refused to give a completion certificate, and that “even HSIIDC refused to own responsibility for mishaps”.
Haryana Industries Minister Vipul Goel called the claims “irresponsible, ridiculous”.
Modi also flagged off the Ballabhgarh link of the Delhi Metro, which connects the Escorts Mujesar-Raja Nahar Singh (Ballabhgarh) section with the Kashmere Gate-Escorts Mujesar section.
