1. Home
2. Legal News
3. After Supreme Court verdict on L-G tussle, Delhi govt rushes to clear projects

After Supreme Court verdict on L-G tussle, Delhi govt rushes to clear projects

Dated: July 07, 2018

Two days after the Supreme Court’s judgment on the power tussle in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Friday went on an overdrive to clear a slew of projects, including doorstep delivery of ration and funds to complete the much-delayed Signature Bridge.

The expenditure and finance committee chaired by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday approved the final instalment of Rs 138 crore for the bridge so that the project can be completed by October-end.

“With approval of final instalment, the last hurdle has now been cleared. There should be now no more obstacles and it should be ready by October-end,” chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said.

Sisodia, who holds the finance portfolio, said that the executing agency had funds to continue work till July end and so the finance committee approved the final instalment at a revised total estimated cost of Rs 1,518 crore.

“The revised estimate was approved after considering CPWD’s report on the project. PWD had released Rs 1,380 crore to the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (which is executing the project) so far,” Sisodia said.

The bridge is expected to reduce travel time by half an hour for people travelling between Ghaziabad, Khajuri Khas, Yamuna Vihar, Wazirabad, Timarpur, Mukherjee Nagar and Burari areas.

The project was conceptualised in 2004 but construction took off only by 2010, the original completion date. Work on the bridge stopped in April this year and resumed after Kejriwal visited the site on May 29 and assured of funds.

Doorstep delivery of ration

Overruling objections by lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal, Kejriwal on Friday directed the food and civil supplies department officials to immediately implement the AAP government’s flagship ration scheme.

Baijal had on March 21 this year asked the government to consult the Centre before executing the plan.

Kejriwal said providing food at lowest prices to the poor was his government’s biggest responsibility. “Earlier, when we used to run an NGO and work in slums, we were attacked seven times while dealing with the ration mafia, so streamlining the ration distribution system was our paramount responsibility. Now I hope no more obstacles will be created. L-G too said today (Friday) that we do not need to send the file to him,” Kejriwal said.

The CM said he had asked officials to give him daily updates on the project.

CCTV project

Kejriwal also directed the PWD secretary to place the CCTV proposal in the next Cabinet meet. Under the project, the government aims to install 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras across the city.

This project, which the government had been saying was in process of implementing, landed in controversy after Baijal constituted a special committee to prepare a standard operating procedure for the installation and functioning of CCTV cameras.

Academic blocks at DTU Phase II

The finance committee also approved the construction of Delhi Technological University’s (DTU) campus at Shahabad Daulatpur on Bawana Road at an estimated cost of approximately Rs 292 crore.

Five buildings, including two academic blocks of 10 floors each and three hostel blocks of 13 floors each, have been approved.

“It will house 3,800 students in the academic block and 990 students in hostels. The committee approved the timeline for completion of the project, which is 19 (1.6 years) months from today (Friday),” Sisodia said.

Hospital in Burari