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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, while chairing a meeting of the Expenditure Finance Committee on Monday, reviewed the under-construction Barapullah Elevated Road, Phase-III, and directed that the irregularities in the project and the payment of Rs 175 crore to the contractor be investigated by the Anti-Corruption Branch.
According to a release from the Chief Minister's Office, during the meeting, concerns were raised over the Public Works Department's (PWD) negligence and the prolonged delays in the project. The Chief Minister instructed senior officials to ensure its timely completion, noting that the payment was necessitated because the previous government had prevented the company from executing the work. The elevated road will run from Barapullah Nallah to Mayur Vihar Phase-III via Sarai Kale Khan. PWD Minister Pravesh Sahib Singh and senior departmental officials attended the high-level meeting. Officials informed the Chief Minister that the project would gain pace as permissions for tree removal along the route were expected shortly. CM Rekha Gupta stressed that no further delays would be tolerated and assured adequate budgetary support to complete the project, which is expected to significantly ease traffic between South and East Delhi. The Delhi CM called the project "yet another example of corruption and negligence under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government." She highlighted that the project, scheduled for completion in October 2017, was repeatedly delayed and eventually went into arbitration. The ruling favoured the contractor with an award of Rs 120 crore. When the payment was withheld, the company approached the High Court, which in May 2023 ordered the PWD to pay Rs 175 crore, including interest and GST. The sum was subsequently paid during the tenure of then-PWD Minister Atishi. CM Rekha Gupta criticised the AAP government for neither filing a review petition nor taking action against the responsible officers, adding that the payout had hampered other PWD schemes. She also disclosed that the contractor had initially offered to settle the dispute for Rs 35 crore, but the proposal was ignored, resulting in the escalation of the matter to the High Court. CM Gupta further noted the possibility of PWD officials being complicit in the irregularities and confirmed that their actions would also be scrutinised under the vigilance enquiry. She assured that the investigation would not hinder the project's progress and reiterated the government's commitment to completing it within the stipulated timeframe. (ANI)
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