'Kartavya Patras' from LG yields desired effect, CM Kejriwal sends 8 pending files, duly signed, for approval
Oct 13, 2022
New Delhi [India], October 13 : Following two 'Kartavya Patras' from the Lt. Governor to Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, flagging 'unjustified and inordinate delays' ranging from 6 months to 3 years, in granting permission for translocation of trees that had stalled several infrastructure projects in the Capital, the Delhi Government has finally cleared and sent for LG's approval 8 such important proposals.
The files to this effect, have been duly signed by CM Arvind Kejriwal. The LG has approved all 8 proposals received yesterday, clearing a major roadblock in the redevelopment of AIIMS (where all other statutory requirements and clearances had already been approved), construction of various stretches of Delhi Metro Phase-IV, construction of MP Flats and a Water Treatment Plant at Chandrawal.
These projects, aimed at enhancing the Health and Public Transport Infrastructure in the City apart from other things would benefit lakhs of people living in Delhi. However, in spite of the critical nature of these projects, the Environment and Forest Minister kept sitting over these files for years together, despite the fact that land for compensatory afforestation/transplantation had been already identified/allotted in all these cases.
It may be noted that the LG had written two letters - first on 17th August and later on 30th September - to CM Kejriwal underlining the inordinate and undue delay in clearing the files related to the translocation of trees and requesting the CM to expedite the same. The LG had also flagged massive cost overruns in all these projects as a result of such undue delays.
Out of the 08 files sent to the LG yesterday, one relates to the redevelopment of AIIMS as a World Class Medical University pending since January 2022, five files pertain to the construction of Metro Corridors under Phase-IV that aim at decongesting and improving public transport in extremely crowded areas of West, South, North and Central Delhi.
These Metro projects include Saket G-Block to Sangam Vihar segment, Janakpuri to Derawal Nagar segment, Pul Bangash to Ghantaghar section and RK Ashram to Sadar Bazar segment.
In addition to these projects, the construction of a water treatment plant at Chandrawal in the Civil Lines area of North Delhi and the construction of flats for the Members of Parliament at Baba Kharak Singh Marg in New Delhi will also be able to take off now.
It may be noted that the permission for transplantation/afforestation in many key projects like the construction of a new engineering block and academic complex in IIT Delhi (pending since 2021), the building of CISF in Saket (pending since 2021), construction of road over bridge and road under the bridge by MCD at Sultanpuri near Nangloi and construction of the important Dwarka Expressway Phase II, (pending since April 2022) and the construction of UER-II at NH-34 in Delhi (pending since 2021) are yet to be cleared by the Kejriwal government.
