Five years after its renovation work began; the Shivaji Stadium in the Capital appears to have become an extra baggage for the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). Despite spending a whopping amount of Rs185 crore and missing several deadlines, the renovated stadium will have to wait a little longer for being operational. The civic body on Tuesday terminated its contract with the Chinese company —China Railway Shisiju Group Corporation — without deciding the next company that would take over the completion of the remaining work. Sources said that this could lead to further delays as the civic body would find it difficult to get a contractor for left-over works. Officials said that the civil construction is over and only electrical works have been left.
The decision to terminate the contract was taken in the Council meeting on Tuesday that was presided over by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. “The company was flouting the contract agreement as it had outsourced the work to a third party. There was no other alternative. Involving a third party in the work was strictly prohibited,” said a senior NDMC official. This also prompted a demand from a council member to impose penalty on the Chinese firm and also to blacklist it.
The initial budget of the renovation for the stadium was fixed at Rs15 crore. later, when the contract for the ‘Improvement/Upgradation of Shivaji Stadium’ was finally awarded to China Railway Shisiju, the amount was increased by over 10 times to Rs160.27 crore. After the revised administrative approval and obtaining of sanctions on expenditures the amount was hiked to Rs185 crore.
The council has, however, not yet decided on firm that would execute the remaining works. With this not only the stadium is bereft from being used by players, but even the opening of the two-storey underground parking lot which is expected to decongest the traffic at Connaught Place (CP) will be further delayed. “Nothing was decided in the council meet as to who would be given the new contract. The CM also ordered to expedite the left over work and open it to the public at the earliest,” said the official.
The civic body had earlier claimed that the parking lot which can accommodate 750 cars would be made operational for public from July onwards. Explaining the delay, another official said, “We are working out modalities. Questions like how will we shut the parking on the event of a match and the duration of closure are being worked out. All requisite clearances have been sought; we will soon inaugurate the facility.” The trading community has long been awaiting the opening of this parking facility as they believe this would benefit them immensely.
Although construction of the stadium-cum-commercial facility was completed long ago, the NDMC is yet to inaugurate it as major electrical works that are left incomplete. “Work for air conditioning has not yet completed. All electrical works are left including installation of lights. The council is not even levying a penalty on the Chinese company. It should have black-listed it by now,” said Karan Singh Tanwar, BJP MlA and a member of the Council. Started in April 2008, the renovation work of Shivaji Stadium was slated for completion in June 2010. At that time it used to be in the Commonwealth Games as a practice venue for hockey. But due to missing the deadline yet again by the NDMC, the practice venue had to be shifted.
Shrivastava is new NDMC chairperson
Jalaj Shrivastava, a 1984 batch IAS officer of UT cadre, will take over as the new chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). He will replace Archna Arora who has been transferred to the Delhi Government. A notification for the same is likely to be issued on Wednesday said a Delhi Government official.
Shrivastava was serving as Principal Secretary in Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration before being transferred. He has earlier handled various departments of Delhi Government. As a VAT Commissioner, there was a 17 per cent growth in taxes in the Capital during his tenure. He also acted as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) MRTS in the first phase of Delhi Metro. Meanwhile, Arora has been promoted to the Additional Secretary Cadre and will be working in the Delhi Secretariat. She has earlier worked in Central Government’s Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Personnel and Training and Election Commission of India besides working in Goa and Arunachal Pradesh Governments.