Expressing concern over inordinate delay in commissioning the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) from Kundli to Palwal via Manesar, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday asked the Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath to expedite the project as it has missed several deadlines.
Dikshit has raised the issue at the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) on Monday. The inordinate delay in execution of the project is also raising the cost. This is despite the regular monitoring of the Supreme Court and the Prime Minister’s Office on a regular basis. After 10 years, the WePE is only 68 per cent complete while Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) is yet to take off.
Top sources told The Pioneer that Dikshit also raised the issue of delay in commissioning the Western Peripheral Expressway from Kundli to Palwal via Manesar. It was stated at the meeting that the delay is happening due to the attitude of the contractor. Nath has assured that convene a meeting at the earliest to resolve the impasse. The meeting would be attended by the Chief Ministers of Delhi and Haryana and representatives of the Monitoring Committee appointed by Supreme Court.
Both the expressways were approved in 2005. The Delhi Government is bearing 50 per cent of the total cost of the project. The cost of land acquisition for the two expressways was estimated to be at Rs 2,550 crore in 2010 that has now increased to Rs 2,905.2 crore in 2011. This means the contribution of Delhi has already increased to Rs 1,452.6 crore in 2011 as against Rs 1,275.34 crore in 2010. Of these, Rs 653.50 crore has been paid by Delhi while Rs 799.09 crore is pending.
Due to non-completion of the project in time, Delhi was unnecessarily burdened with higher land acquisition costs and the target to decongest Delhi was not achieved. Therefore, the city should put a condition on sharing the revenue earned by either Haryana or UP Government. It should also claim a share in the toll revenue earned on these expressways, said officials of Delhi Government.
“Having given commitment to the project 10 years ago, Delhi is bearing the burnt of continued movement of transit traffic, its hazards and resultant pollution as well as repeated demands of additional funds for the project,” said officials.
Notably, the Western half of this bypass linking Kundli to Faridabad via NH-10 and NH-8 was designated as the WPE, and the Eastern half of this bypass was designed as EPE. The construction of twin expressways — totaling 270 km — was initiated as per a Supreme Court ruling to get Delhi rid of unwanted traffic.