Huda clears legal hurdles, to hand over Dwarka Expressway project to NHAI
Dwarka Expressway was planned in 2006 and it was expected to be completed by 2010. However, the project ran into hurdles galore and remained stuck due to cases filed by plot owners whose land was acquired.
After several missed deadlines, legal hassles and protests by plot owners, the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) on Saturday said that it was ready to hand over the Dwarka Expressway carriageway project to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The NHAI will finish the project.
Dwarka Expressway was planned in 2006 and it was expected to be completed by 2010. However, the project ran into hurdles galore and remained stuck due to cases filed by plot owners whose land was acquired.
Chander Shekhar Khare, administrator, HSVP, formerly known as the Haryana urban development authority (Huda), Gurugram, said that they have finally overcome all obstacles and have settled legal issues that bedevilled the project. He said the authority is ready to transfer the land to the NHAI as and when it desires.
“The land has already been transferred in revenue records to the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), which will be technically transferring the carriageway to the NHAI. All structures have been removed and alternative arrangements made for oustees as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court,” he added.
However, there may be some time before construction work can start.
While HSVP might have cleared the path for transfer of land, officials of the highways authority said that it was still waiting for clearances from different departments before it takes over the carriageway.
“This project is a top priority and multiple processes are involved in implementing it. As permissions from two states and multiple agencies are needed, we are working at the highest level to fix all ends,” said an NHAI official, who is not authorised to speak to the media.
The expressway spans 29 km and connects Shivmurti near Mahipalpur on National Highway 48 in Delhi to a point, 1km from Kherki Daula toll plaza, on the same road.
The NHAI will be building an eight-lane elevated road, underpasses at 10 points and four interchanges at Sector 84 and 88 dividing road in Gurugram, the Southern Peripherical Road junction, Dwarka Sector 25 and Shiv Murti in Delhi.
The project will be funded under the National Corridor Efficiency Improvement Programme.
The state government has been desperate to complete the Dwarka Expressway project, as the long delay has put the Gurugram -Manesar Urban Complex Masterplan, 2031 in jeopardy.
The proposed expressway had resulted in a real estate boom in New Gurugram, as thousands of flats were launched on both sides of the road. However, the long delay hit the realty market hard.
Real estate consultants complain that failure to complete the expressway and inability to develop basic infrastructure along the road has hurt the interest of both end users as well as investors in Gurugram.
Khare, however, said that there would no more delay on handing over the carriageway to the highways authority.
“The expressway project was mired in several litigations. However, after the May 29 order, we worked on a war footing and managed to rehabilitate all the oustees. We will give all support to the NHAI in completing the project at the earliest,” he said.
