Delhi Police Headquarters’ proposed building at Jai Singh Road — that has been hanging fire since ages — has got the final clearance and the construction of this ambitious project is likely to start soon. The twin tower project has been accorded the mandatory environmental and height-related clearances from the concerned authorities. The 18-storey complex, which will come up at Jai Singh Marg behind Parliament Street police station, will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including modern communication systems and security apparatus.
It would be pertinent to mention here that possibly Delhi Police is the only police force in the country that does not have its own building where it can house the police headquarters. Ever since February 16, 1948 when Delhi Police came into existence, it has been hankering for a building to house the Police Headquarters (PHQ) but it has taken 65 years for the successive Governments to permit the construction of PHQ building in the New Delhi district. Currently it shares MSO Building at Vikas Marg with Public Works Department (PWD) as its PHQ. The building is owned by the State PWD. As a matter of record, PHQ’s new building was cleared way back by the then Urban and Development Minister Sheila Kaul in 1995 but the project has been delayed in the rigmarole of clearances from various Government agencies. Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took ages to nod in agreement and the ball was set rolling.
According to a senior police official some minor irritants are still there but efforts are on to iron them out. The construction work will begin soon as other clearances have been given. The only glitch that needs to be removed is the suggestion by the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) about some design-related changes for the stairs. The project is touted to solve the many problems being faced by the Delhi Police. The twin tower office-cum-residential complex is complete, the space crunch faced by the Delhi Police at its PHQ at Vikas Marg will be solved for once and all. The PHQ at Jai Singh Road will also help the force in placing its key wings under one roof to ensure better coordination and cut transport cost, the official added.
The ambitious project, which was initially supposed to be completed by the first quarter of 2015, has already been delayed at least twice due to delay in clearances. It may be recalled that the then Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde who was to perform the Bhumi Pujan and the foundation stone laying ceremony at the proposed site had returned midway after officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed him that the site plan is ye to be approved by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and his involvement in the ceremony will be in contravention of the laws. The HM beat a hasty retreat and Delhi Police top brass turned crimson.
The function was held days before the then Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar retired on July 31. The project is said to be Kumar’s brainchild as it was initiated in the days when he was Special Commissioner, Administration. The new PHQ will incur a cost of Rs1,095 crore under PPP model in 840 days. The contract for the new building has been awarded to Unity Infraprojects ltd. The deadline of 840 days will begin from the day construction starts on the site, the official said.