The Times of India    31.08.2012

Delhi Govt. to re-develop 825 km of roads

The Public Works Department of Delhi Government is
drawing up a Rs.1,050 crore plan for complete re-development of nearly
825 km of roads that have been transferred to it from the Municipal
Corporation of Delhi.

Delhi PWD Minister Raj Kumar
Chauhan said on Thursday that the plan envisages taking up works worth
Rs.250 crore in the current fiscal and of another Rs.800 crore in
2013-14.

The Minister said to expedite the works, the
financial approvals for both the years are being taken in one go. “The
payments for the work undertaken during the next fiscal would have to be
made at a later stage but following the approvals we would be able to
plan out and start the work for the next fiscal right in the beginning
of the year.”

Mr. Chauhan said under the plan these
roads would be given a complete makeover. “The scope of work would
include dense carpeting of the road, construction of pavements and
central verge, greening of the sidewalks and adjoining areas, making
provision for streetlighting and installation of signages in keeping
with the guidelines.”

The PWD had earlier this year
drawn up a comprehensive plan to keep the nearly 1130 km of roads with
it free of any water-logging. It had 485 km of its own roads with it
till last year and 645 km of over 60-foot wide roads were transferred to
the Department from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

While earlier these roads were maintained by MCD, this is the first year when PWD is also maintaining them.

The
Department had also undertaken minor repair of the MCD reports before
the onset of the monsoons and would be undertaking major road
improvement work from October. Mr. Chauhan said the tenders for some of
the roads have also been prepared and the work would start as soon as
the rainy season would end.

The Minister said the Department plans to construct all the 825 km of roads transferred to it within a year-and-a-half.

Incidentally,
much of the road construction and improvement activity is expected to
start showing results ahead of the Assembly elections due late next
year.