Delhi govt approves 31 projects

The expenditure finance committee (EFC) of the Delhi government on Wednesday approved 31 projects—27 by the public works department and four irrigation and flood control projects—amounting to Rs 584 crore.

The decision was taken at an EFC meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who also heads the finance department. Briefing the media after the meeting, Dikshit said the government has initiated an ambitious road infrastructure development programme at an estimated cost of over Rs 2,000 crore. The project will be completed in the next two years and comprises the 27 PWD projects.

“The government is more concerned about the roads transferred to it by the corporations which are in bad shape and are not motorable. Hence, the government has decided to take up improvement work on 26 such roads at an estimated cost of Rs 492 crore. We have also ratified widening of the Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road from Andheria More to Masood Pur at a cost of Rs 58.21 crore,” said Dikshit.

Widening, strengthening and improvement of a segment of the 3.5 km road from Andheria More to Masood Pur is essential as it will decongest NH-8 at Mahipalpur.

The government also plans to widen the road from the existing four lanes to eight lanes, improve footpath and drains, provide modern retroreflective road signage, improve horticulture road and upgrade streetlights.      For the 26 other roads transferred from the corporations, the meeting decided to take up comprehensive development including surface repair, strengthening footpaths and drains, upgrade signage and streetlights, horticulture features on the central verges and footpaths. Dikshit said most roads in the rural areas will get a facelift. “It will go a long way in providing a long-lasting road network in rural and nearby urban localities,” she said.  

The EFC also approved three projects of the I&FC department related to drains at the Kirari Suleman Nagar, procurement of modern machines for desilting drains, foreclosure of works related to construction of a boundary wall along the left bank of the Najafgarh drain and ratification for foreclosure of work regarding widening of the existing road on the right bank of the Bawana escape drain.