Construction of the Ashram underpass was one of the key projects. Gajendra Yadav After education and health, this year the AAP government will focus on Delhi’s infrastructural development, especially roads and transport, sources say.
According to sources in the Delhi government, the Public Works Department (PWD) is likely to get a boost and a sizeable share of the amount to expedite road infrastructure projects that are either in the pipeline or planning stages and could not be taken up due to hiccups caused because of Covid, land acquisition problems and ban on construction activities. Lack of funds was one of the main reasons for the delay in these projects, said sources.
In last year’s budget, the Delhi government earmarked Rs 9,394 crore, a 14% share of the total budget, for development of transport infrastructure, roads and bridges.
Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Manish Sisodia also proposed several schemes in the budget for improving road infrastructure and reducing traffic jams. One of the key projects was streetscaping of roads for which it earmarked an amount of Rs 500 crore. To ease travelling across the capital, it proposed the East-West corridor (elevated and tunnel road between Tikri and Anand Vihar), the North-South corridor (elevated and tunnel road from Signature Bridge to the airport) and an outer road running parallel to the Yamuna from Signature Bridge to Sarai Kale Khan.
Key projects also included construction of an underpass at Ashram Chowk, two underpasses between Wazirabad and Jagatpur, a pedestrian subway near Gandhi Vihar, extension of Ashram flyover to DND, and a bridge on Najafgarh drain.
Ashram underpass and extension of Ashram flyover to DND and streetscaping of seven stretches on a pilot basis were started three years ago and were slated to be complete in 2021, but the projects are still under construction and have been delayed several times.
“Several key projects could not take place due to lack of funds, implementation of lockdown, labour and logistical issues and the ban on construction. Due to lack of funds, several contractors either left or refused to work till they got payment. We hope to get a boost in the budget this year, so we can start the pending projects.” said a senior PWD official.
The Delhi government will also focus on completion of strengthening of all roads, pending projects and installation of LED screens and national flags. Extension of Barapullah phase III corridor from Sarai Kale Khan to Mayur Vihar Part I will also be on the cards, said sources.
Sources said electric vehicle infrastructure is also expected to get a push in the budget that will be presented on March 26.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
