Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
* Actual cost of two elevated corridors increased by Rs. 30 Crore under Kejriwal rule
Chandigarh, April 18: The Shiromani Akali Dal today asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to apologies to the people of Delhi for misleading them that the AAP just had made massive savings in buildings and bridges whereas actual cost of elevated road from Mangolpuri to Madhuban Chowk and another from Madhuban Chowk to Mukarba Chowk increased by Rs. 30 Crore during AAP rule.
Quoting facts published in a business daily, Deputy Chief Minister Advisor Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that Kejriwal government played a quick game through advertisements to camouflage its Rs. 30 crore scandal besides taking the credit of ‘Saving Government Money’. He said the construction on the key elevated road projects completed by the Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD) in the past few was started in 2013, whereas, Kejriwal-led AAP government came to power only in February 2015.
Giving a brief account of trick played by Delhi AAP government, Mr. Sirsa stated that it was the team of honest PWD officials and engineers whose tireless efforts, planning and innovations in 2013 have reduced the cost of construction for various projects, on other hand the project cost of two projects completed during AAP regime mysteriously increased by Rs. 30 Crore. “The actual cost of elevated road between Prembari Pul and Azadpur was 145 crore against tender amount of Rs. 182 crore, whereas, actual expenditure over elevated road from Mangolpuri to Madhuban Chowk and another from Madhuban Chowk to Mukarba Chowk rises to 600 crore against tender cost of Rs. 570 Crore”, he added.
Mr. Sirsa said that the 1.6-km long six-lane elevated road between Prembari Pul and Azadpur was initially estimated in June 2012 to cost Rs 247.17 crore but the tendered amount in February 2013 was Rs 182 crore. He said that it was innovative approach of PWD that for the first time in Delhi, a six-lane carriageway was placed on a single pillar, thereby reducing cost by 20 per cent per square metre. “Why AAP government failed to repeat the same in the construction of other two flyovers?” questioned Mr. Sirsa.
“The other two flyovers inaugurated by Kejriwal in January 2016 including 1.6-km stretch between Mangolpuri and Madhuban Chowk and another flyover from Madhuban Chowk to Mukarba Chowk are also based on the same single-pillar design innovation which brought down the preliminary costs but in this case the cost increases byrs. 30 Crore”, said Mr. Sirsa.
Describing the AAP’s attempt of taking political millage on the innovations of PWD team rather than investigating the Rs. 30 Crore hike in actual cost as unfortunate, Mr. Sirsa said that Delhi CM should have honoured the team of officials and engineers of PWD who brought this innovation years before Kejriwal formed his government in Delhi besides putting behind the bars the culprits of Rs. 30 Crore scam.
