The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has disagreed with Delhi Government’s suggestion to penalize Engineers India limited (EIl) for the inordinate delay in completion of Connaught Place beautification plan. The council’s contention is that levying penalty on EIl will further complicate the issue. Earlier, Delhi Chief Secretary DM Spolia has written the NDMC, suggesting penalising EIl for inordinate delay in the execution of Connaught Place redevelopment plan. Worried over the delay, chief secretary has advised the council to set separate deadlines for the different tasks at hand.
Sources in NDMC expressed apprehensions that if the penalty is imposed on EIl, the situation will further complicate the matter. It is learnt that EIl has reportedly blamed the Commonwealth Games for delay in the CP beautification plan. “The council has disagreed with the Government’s suggestion,” said the sources. Spolia, in his letter, has suggested imposing penalty to speed up the projects.
The redevelopment of Connaught Place is a story of missed deadlines and escalating costs. It began in 2005 when every development agency such as the DDA, MCD, PWD etc, was asked to submit their ideas for development of the Capital in the run-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG). Touted as a showcase project, the Connaught Place redevelopment project involved restoring the market to its original grandeur when it was inaugurated in 1935. Work began in May 2009 with an eye on the CWG. Since then, several deadlines have been set and missed by the NDMC.
The plan was conceived in April 2004, but the final approval from Delhi Urban Art Commission came only in November 2008. The continuous delays and poor contract management has caused the project cost to go up from Rs76 crore in 2005 to Rs671 crore in 2007. In June 2012, the cost estimate was revised to Rs477 crore. The scope of work was also reduced by junking the four proposed subways at Yusufzai Market, Estate Entry Road, Chelmsford Road and P Block, SBS Marg. The project was to be completed before October 2010. The deadline was then pushed to 2011 which was further extended to March 2012 and then to December 2012. In 2013, it was stated the work will be finished by March.With April gone, separate deadlines have been set for various tasks after the chief secretary’s visit. The new deadline is June which is likely to be missed. In totality, over eight deadlines have been missed by the EIl in this project.
Pending works
The status report states, 12 blocks out of 14 façade restoration work have been completed and 10 blocks have been handed over to NDMC.
The work on the roof of Regal Cinema, which was to be completed by April-end, is unfinished — the roof needs to be cemented, the painting done and glass panes on windows replaced. Only the façade work on three blocks — B, C and Regal Cinema — is left. In the middle circle, toilets, garbage station, footpath is not complete. On outer circle, development work at G, H, K, l, M blocks is 90 per cent complete while work at N block is just started.
The ramp at KG Marg and BKS Marg subway is likely to take one month to complete the project. The new deadline for these subways is May 15. The deadline for structure work of subway at Statesman House is May 6 and work is likely to be finished by May 26 while subway at Gopaldas is expected to be completed by June 20. At several locations, equipment delivery is only 70-80 per cent.