New Delhi

Minister concerned at tardy work on bridges

NEW DELHI: Delhi Finance and Power Minister A.K. Walia on Saturday expressed concern at the slow pace of work on the Geeta Colony bridge over the Yamuna and the two foot-over bridges being constructed in East Delhi.

During a visit to the site, he said it was unfortunate that the bridge that was scheduled to be commissioned in March this year had already overshot two deadlines and was still nowhere near completion.

The Minister said the residents of East Delhi were facing hardship due to non-commissioning of the bridge that would have provided them a quick to and fro access across the Yamuna to Central Delhi. He observed that construction of service lanes from ITO to Geeta Colony and Shakarpur to ITO was also running behind schedule.

The residents of East Delhi were worried over the present state of affairs and lukewarm response of the construction agency, he said. Being constructed by the Public Works Department, the bridge was to have also de-congested Vikas Marg and other roads of East Delhi as it is directly connected to the Disused Canal Road that leads all the way up to Karkardooma crossing.

Dr. Walia, who also inspected the two foot-over bridges at Lalita Park and Krishna Kunj, noted with regret that there had been no progress on these projects since his last visit to the site in the first week of August.

The Minister also inspected a slip road towards Bundh-Geeta Colony Road which was damaged within weeks of its opening. He was surprised to see just three persons working on the slip roads. Stating that these roads were not yet fit for re-commissioning, he said this was also blocking the start of work on the ITO Chungi underpass which was originally due to be completed by November this year.

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