Pre-empting the Aam Aadmi Party government’s inauguration of the Vikaspuri-Meera Bagh flyover on Sunday, leaders and workers of the Delhi Congress ‘opened’ the road for the public on Saturday.
The Congress took credit for the flyover, which was commissioned by the erstwhile Sheila Dikshit government, and accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of lying about the project. Mr. Kejriwal, who will be officially inaugurating the flyover on Sunday, had said last week that the AAP government had managed to complete the construction of the project Rs.100 crore under budget. Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken had hit back, using RTI replies and other documents to say that the project was Rs.43 crore over budget.
‘AAP mislead people’
On Saturday, former West Delhi MP Mahabal Mishra ‘inaugurated’ the flyover, amidst a crowd of Congress workers. Mr. Mishra reiterated Mr. Maken’s claim, saying that the AAP government had misled people on the apparent savings. According to the Congress, the initial cost sanctioned by the Congress Government in June 2012 was Rs.560 crore, but the costs was revised downwards to Rs.464 in December 2012. The tender for the project was allocated at Rs.407 crore in February 2013, they said. The AAP government had spent Rs.450 crore, going over budget, the Congress alleged. “The government has made a loss of Rs.43 crore so Mr. Kejriwal is lying when he says they have saved Rs.100 crore. Their calculations are based on the initial estimates, not the final tender amount,” said Mr. Mishra, after opening the flyover.
After the Congress leader cut a ribbon to open the flyover, some cars were seen travelling over it. Meanwhile, the Delhi government could take action in connection with the unauthorised inauguration. A media advisor to the Chief Minister tweeted ‘PWD files police complaint agnst miscreants who illegally tried to intrude Vikaspuri Elevated Road to be inaugurated by Del CM on Sunday’.
The government has made a loss of Rs.43 crore so Mr. Kejriwal is lying when he says they have saved Rs.100 crore
Mahabal Mishra
Former West Delhi MP
