Amid the ongoing third wave of Covid-19, the Delhi government has decided to curtail the allocated budget for various Public Works Department (PWD) works and divert it towards strengthening medical and healthcare facilities, reported PTI.
“Due to the ongoing third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Delhi government’s primary focus is to strengthen medical and healthcare facilities. Hence, the funding for a number of construction projects has been cut,” the news agency quoted officials as saying.
The PWD director (works) has reportedly issued instructions regarding construction projects for 2021-22 after receiving a communication from the joint secretary (budget) on 10 January.
The revised budget allocation order issued by the PWD also asked officials to “strictly observe” economy instructions issued by the Finance Department of the Delhi government.
“The expenditure during the current financial year should not exceed the revised estimates (for) 2021-22. In case of an additional expenditure, which cannot be further postponed, the concerned zones may send proposal for re-appropriation of funds by providing matching savings,” the order stated.
Some of the projects for which funds have been curtailed are Barapullah Phase-3 elevated corridor; construction of New Bypass road parallel to the Ring Road from Wazirabad to DND; flyover at Majnu Ka Tila-Metcalf House crossing on Outer Ring Road; widening of bridges on NH-10 at Tri Nagar, Inderlok, Karampura; and integrated transit corridor development and street network between Punjabi Bagh flyover and Raja Garden flyover.
According to the revised allocation, the budget estimate for the Barapullah Phase-3 project has been halved from ₹150 crore to ₹75 crore.
The budget for the construction of a flyover and elevated road at Karawal Nagar, Ghonda and Brijpuri junction on Mangal Pandey Marg in northeast Delhi has been cut down from ₹100 crore to ₹50 crore.
As against an earlier allocation of ₹20 crore for the construction of a New Bypass road parallel to the Ring Road from Wazirabad to DND, the revised budget is only ₹1 crore.
The budget for repair, rehabilitation and maintenance of bridges and flyovers has also been reduced to ₹15 crore from ₹30 crore.
The government has also curtailed the budget for the construction of foot overbridges from ₹50 crore to ₹40 crore.
Budget estimates for some crucial projects, like the extension of the Ashram flyover up to DND, have been increased. The revised budget for the project is ₹80 crore, up from the earlier allocation of ₹50 crore.
With inputs from agencies.
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