AIIMS redevelopment, construction of Metro stretches to start shortly

New Delhi: The Delhi government has cleared and sent for Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena's approval 8 important proposals concerned with the development of the city.

The L-G has approved all 8 proposals received on Wednesday, 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, said an official source on Thursday.

"Following two 'Kartavya Patras' from the Lt. Governor to Chief Minister 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 L-G's approval 8 such proposals," the source said, adding the files to this effect, have been duly signed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal this time.

"The L-G had written two letters -- first on August 17 and later on September 30 -- to Chief Minister Kejriwal underlining the inordinate and undue delay in clearing the files related to translocation of trees and requesting the Chief Minister to expedite the same. The L-G had also flagged massive cost over runs in all these projects as a result of such undue delays," an official source said.

Of the 8 files sent to the L-G Saxena on Wednesday, 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 de-congesting 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 (Near Majlis Park) of Aerocity to Tughlakabad Corridor, pending since 2019; Janakpuri to Derawal Nagar segment of Janakpuri West to R.K. Ashram Corridor, pending since 2021; Pul Bangash to Ghantaghar section of Janakpuri West to R.K. Ashram corridor, pending since April 2022; R.K. Ashram to Sadar Bazar segment of Janakpuri West to R.K. Ashram corridor, pending since April 2022; and Saket G-Block to Sangam Vihar segment (Near Khanpur) of Aerocity to Tughlakabad Corridor, pending since April 2022

In addition to these projects, construction of a water treatment plant at Chandrawal in Civil Lines area of North Delhi and construction of flats for the Members of Parliament at Baba Kharak Singh Marg in New Delhi will also be able to take off now.

However, the permission for transplantation or afforestation in many key projects like construction of new engineering block and academic complex in IIT Delhi (pending since 2021), building of CISF in Saket (pending since 2021), construction of road over bridge and road under 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 government.