Urban News

“BMC engineers asked us three days ago to stop the work. We will take it up strongly with the BMC and MMRDA,” said K P Maheshwari, senior executive vice-president of RInfra.

“Soil testing has been done on around 50 per cent of the stretch from Mankhurd to Vile Parle and was going on for the remaining stretch,” Maheshwari said.

Asked about the order, BMC chief Swadheen Kshatriya said, “I’m not fully aware of the issue but will look into it.”

From the MMRDA, the nodal agency for the project, metropolitan commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad said, “It doesn’t come as a surprise to us. The BMC has already made exceptions for the ongoing Metro and monorail construction. The actual work on corridor two will start after October, after the financial closure.”

RInfra is confident of getting permission to complete the soil testing. “We will take up the issue and are confident the BMC will allow us to restart soil testing in a couple of days,” said Maheshwari.

Construction of the corridor is expected to kick off by November, with 2013-end as the target for completion. RInfra will get Rs 1,532 crore from the Centre and Rs 766 crore from the state as viability gap funding for the Rs-8,250 crore elevated Metro corridor, with 27 stations.

The consortium signed the concession agreement with the state in February for a period of 35 years, with a clause for an extension of another 10 years.

Senior Deputy Mayor Parveen Bansal when contacted said the project had been awaiting approval for the last two years because there were no funds. “Now the government has allocated funds from the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), so the project has been given a go-ahead,” Bansal said.

Former councillor Pran Bhatia, however said, “The Partap Chowk flyover project was proposed in 2002. It was a single project to link Gill Road with Dholewal Bridge via Partap chowk and the cost was estimated at Rs 14 crore.

Now the cost of two projects—Gill Chowk flyover and Partap Chowk flyover—is estimated around Rs 46.45 crore.” Apinder Grewal, former mayor, under whom the project was first proposed also said that the cost had escalated manifold. Grewal, however, did not comment on the feasibility of the project.

“I have not yet seen the drawings of the new project and cannot comment on it. But until the Partap Chowk flyover is not completed, the already inaugurated Gill Chowk flyover is of no use.” The Partap Chowk flyover is expected to be completed by September 2011. Bansal, meanwhile, maintained that the escalation in the cost was only minor.