After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark of no progress at all on Delhi Meerut Expressway, Union Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha has convened a meeting of all stakeholders, including Delhi and UP Chief Secretaries, to take stock of the progress achieved so far on November 17.
It is understood that the PM had ticked off the officers of the Union Surface Transport Ministry for not doing basic preparations before they invited him to lay the foundation stone of Delhi Meerut Expressway in December 2015.
The work is to start soon but there are issues such as approval of Yamuna overbridge from Green Tribunal and some of land acquisition yet to be settled.
Top sources said Cabinet secretary PK Sinha will hold a high-level meeting on November 17 with chief secretaries of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and all stakeholders including officials of National Highway Authority Of India (NHAI) and Union Road and Surface Transport Ministry to take stock achieved so far of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway at a cost of Rs 1,658 crore.
Despite the PM laying the foundation stone at Sector-62 of the Delhi Meerut expressway on December 31, 2015, the construction work has yet to be started. "During a review meeting a few days ago, the PM has expressed annoyance over the delay of the project and made it clear that the authorities should not laid foundation stone in hurry if the project is not ready to take off," said sources. It has also come to light that the NHAI has not taken prior approval from National Green Tribunal for a bridge over Yamuna for the expressway project.
The Delhi-Meerut Expressway project, aimed at de-congesting traffic in Delhi, proposes construction of total four stretches, including Nizamuddin bridge to UP border, UP border to Dasna and Dasna to Hapur. Once fully operational the 105.45-km express way will provide a safe and smooth transit for commuters between Delhi and Meerut.
The Delhi portion is being constructed by the concessionaire, Welspun Delhi Meerut Expressway Pvt. ltd. Meanwhile, in Hapur, road construction machineries have been deployed by the concessionaire, Apco Chetak Expressway Pvt. ltd. The Environment Ministry has given environment clearance to NHAI's proposal to construct a greenfield alignment of Delhi-Meerut Expressway from Dasna to Meerut and the six-lane connector.
The total length of the expressway will be 105.45 km and the construction has been divided into three stages. The first stage will be from Delhi to Dasna (0-27.5 km or 14-lane), while the second stage will be from Dasna to Hapur (27.5 to 49.9 km) on NH-24 (six lane). The third will include construction of a 37-km-long new alignment, also called green field alignment.