Delhi Finance Minister A. K. Walia and Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely on Thursday inspected various Commonwealth Games-related projects being executed by the Public Works Department and the Delhi Development Authority in the trans-Yamuna area.
The two Ministers, who had been given responsibility of projects in the trans-Yamuna area by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in June, visited Vikas Marg, ITO Chungi, Marginal Bund Road leading to Akshardham Temple, the road leading to the Games Village, National Highway-24, Ghazipur crossing, the under-construction flyover on Road No.56 and 57, the road near Anand Vihar Railway Terminal and Yamuna Sports Complex.
During the inspection, the Ministers expressed concern over the presence of mounds of debris and garbage on roads leading up to the Games Village and the Yamuna Sports Complex. They also stated that pedestrian’s crossing over Vikas Marg was a threat to the survival of plants on the central verge of the road. They instructed that iron railings be installed forthwith and hedges be raised to ensure the survival of plants.
Even beneath the flyover on Marginal Bund leading up to the Akshardham Temple, the Ministers expressed their unhappiness at the presence of only a few workers who were deployed for the street-scaping work on both sides of the flyover. They instructed the PWD to expedite the work and take up the greening exercise simultaneously.
At the Akshardham crossing, the Ministers found that not only was the area around it uneven but it also looked shabby. Further, they discovered the presence of a large quantity of building material and debris beneath the Akshardham flyover.
The Minister also visited the road leading up to the Games Village and found it to be sub-standard as a large number of potholes exist on it. Even the road near the Akshardham metro station was unpleasant to look at, they observed.
Noticing a large quantity of unattended work, the Ministers directed the DDA to complete its part of the work before July end. They also expressed their displeasure over the absence of the DDA Chief Engineer and the abrupt departure of the Superintending Engineer concerned during their visit and said the issue would be taken up with the Vice-Chairman of the Authority.
Noting that this area was very close to the Games Village where a large number of foreign players and officials will be putting up, they said it was essential to set things right. Dr. Walia also instructed the PWD to complete construction of a parking site on Vikas Marg by July end. This site is expected to accommodate 150 vehicles.
The two Ministers then travelled through National Highway 24 and found the situation to be equally bad. Here too they saw accumulation of debris at a number of places on both sides of the road. They directed PWD to remove it immediately.
The Ministers announced that they would make another inspection in about 10 days to see the progress of work directed by them. The DDA and PWD officials assured them that all the works would be completed by July 31.
Mr. Lovely also announced that DTC would start installation of 1,000 new bus queue shelters from the second week of July once the construction and levelling of all the footpaths is over. The work would be completed by August 15, he added.
