Thirteen years after it was first announced, the Delhi government’s Signature Bridge project has been given an additional ₹100 crore in the hope that it will finally be ready by the end of this year.
Tourism Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said on Monday that an additional ₹100 crore had been released to the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), the agency responsible for the project.
Proposed by then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in 2004, the bridge over the Yamuna at north-east Delhi’s Wazirabad was supposed to have been completed in time for the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Back then, the deadline was pushed to 2013. After missing multiple deadlines, the Delhi government is now targeting December 2017.
In May, the Public Works Department, which is executing the project, had said that a shortage of funds was delaying the project. The agency had asked for ₹100 crore apart from the ₹1,244.1 crore already sanctioned.
Last week, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Manish Sisodia had approved the additional funds.
Mr. Gautam, meanwhile, has told the PWD that there would be no further revision in the schedule or cost. He also asked the DTTDC to hold accountable those responsible for the escalation in cost and delay in the project. The DTTDC was also asked to examine the reason for the escalation.
According to the PWD, about 90% of the work has been completed. While work is on, sources say it is unlikely to be done by December.
