Work begins on ₹423 crore integrated GB Pant campus in Okhla

The government will establish an integrated GB Pant engineering college campus in Okhla, with completion expected by December 2028 at ₹423.6 crore.

The government has initiated work to set up an integrated campus of GB Pant engineering college and polytechnic in its existing Okhla premises,officials said.

Work begins on ₹423 crore integrated GB Pant campus in Okhla

The project was initially approved by the government in 2019 but did not take off due to pending budget and tree cutting permissions as well as administrative delays. Officials said it will now be completed buy December 2028 at an estimated cost of ₹423.6 crore.

A senior official said work on shifting utilities is currently under progress. “A new integrated campus is being set up for GB Pant engineering college in Okhla. Approval for demolishing the old building and quarters has been received. The firm responsible for the project has been given three years’ time to set up a new campus,” the official added.

A 22-acre plot in Okhla has been identified on the Okhla premises and according to the project plan, the campus will have all modern amenities, including an administration block, hostels, activity areas and workshops. The construction will take place in two phases. In the first phase, several buildings such as an administration block with six floors, two academic blocks with eight floors each, a residence tower with ten floors, and a service block, will be constructed.

As per the plan, the second phase will include a solar power plant, 16 passenger lifts, and comprehensive water drainage and firefighting systems, including a fire alarm equipped with a public announcement system. The move comes after students at the polytechnic institute have raised concerns about the poor state of the infrastructure and called for an integrated college since 2017.

The project has been facing multiple hurdles, including funds approval and permissions related to cutting and transplanting trees. Last year, the Public Works Department (PWD) had sent a budget proposal to the government for the long pending project, which did not get approved. A revised allocation was made this year.

“We had requested the government to sanction budget based on the revised estimates. We are estimated to spend ₹423.62 crore on the campus in work spread over two phases. The tree cutting permission was received on March 18 while the approval for demolishing the old structures was received on March 27,” the official added.

“In 2021, we did get approval from the tree officer and the deputy conservator of forests. However, as per the Delhi High Court’s directions, any project involving cutting of more than 50 trees requires additional permissions.We tried to restart the project in 2024, but budget issues halted the progress.”