PWD officials however say that Rs 331 crore is pending which is needed if the bridge is to be finished on time
The Delhi government has accelerated the process for the much-awaited Signature Bridge. A proposal for the budget for over Rs 100 crore has been sent to the finance department for final approval on Monday. Once the budget is approved by the department, work on the bridge will pick up pace.
"The file which was stuck for more than two years has finally been moved to the finance department. We are now waiting for the final nod," said a senior PWD official.
The bridge, which was supposed to be ready for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, has been declared a white elephant by the AAP government. A budget of Rs 1,131 crore was sanctioned but till now Rs 1,575 crore have been spent.
"We are waiting for the pending funds for more than two years now. A total amount of Rs 331 crore is pending and we have been asking the Delhi government to get it cleared. Once the amount is cleared from the cabinet, it will be transferred to us and we can go ahead with the work," said a senior PWD official.
"If the funds are not transferred, work will be delayed. It is already getting hampered due to shortage of funds," added another PWD official.
Since early 2015, after AAP started monitoring the project, the deadline was shifted twice. In September 2016, a "final" deadline of April 2017 had been set. It was then moved to September 2017 and now the latest deadline is the end of this year.
Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajinder Pal Gautam, who had inspected the bridge earlier this month, had written to the chief secretary, saying that the work should not go on beyond December 31, this year, under any circumstances.
Gautam's visit follows an inspection of the bridge by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal in January this year when a deadline of September 30, 2017 was fixed.
Sources who were part of that inspection team, had even then warned that the pace of work was extremely slow and that it could easily spill into 2018.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Signature Bridge")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}