New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) The wait for high-speed connectivity between East and South Delhi is set to get longer as government sets Barapullah phase-3 completion deadline to 2027, officials said on Wednesday.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has also informed the Delhi government that the delay in completion and the increase in construction costs of the project — connecting Sarai Kale Khan to Mayur Vihar — were due to factors “beyond its control”.
The project has been under construction since 2015, has had several cost escalations and missed deadlines. The initial deadline was 2017.
According to the officials, 95 per cent of the work at the site has been completed and now 15 more months would be required to complete the final portion.
In its latest Expenditure and Finance Committee (EFC) meeting held, the government was informed that the overall construction cost of the project has also increased by Rs 374.40 crore.
Initially estimated at Rs 1,260.63 crore, now the construction cost has escalated to Rs 1,653.03 crore.
“Hindrances such as land acquisition and the shifting of high-tension (HT) lines have caused an inordinate delay in the project’s scheduled completion. These delays were beyond the control of the department and ultimately led to an arbitration award in favour of the agency and escalation of cost,” the minutes of the EFC meeting state.
In July last year, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ordered an inquiry into alleged “irregularities” in the construction of the project, seeking the opinion of the law department on arbitration awards and other details of the project.
The Delhi government has also directed the PWD to prepare a fresh, comprehensive proposal for cabinet approval to accommodate cost overruns in the long-delayed project.
“The project, sanctioned in 2015 and initially estimated at Rs 1,260.63 crore, now costs Rs 1,653.03 crore after taking into account all the pending liabilities and other expenditures,” the officials said. According to the Delhi government, the elevated road was scheduled for completion in October 2017 but was repeatedly delayed, and eventually the matter 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,” the government had said earlier.
The Delhi government emphasised that all necessary preventive and corrective measures will be taken by the PWD to ensure strict adherence to project timelines.
To avoid any further cost escalation, a project monitoring committee will be constituted, the government said. PTI SSM NB
