Delhi govt plans to infuse funds for pending priority work

Phase-2 of CCTV project and ashram flyover to DND Flyway link likely to figure on list.

The Delhi government has asked all departments to prepare a list of priority projects lying unfinished due to the lack funds on the back of the pandemic, said a senior government official. The official added that the government was planning to draft a proposal to sanction funds for these projects and table it before the cabinet for approval.

Workers install CCTV cameras at government flats, at Pandara Road, in New Delhi. (Arvind Yadav / Hindustan Times)

Two projects on the government’s priority list are installing CCTV cameras and connecting Ashram flyover with the DND flyway.

The CCTV initiative is a flagship project of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The project was divided into two phases with 140,000 cameras in each phase across all 70 assembly constituencies in the city. While the first phase was completed last year, the second phase was supposed to start after the Delhi elections (February 2020) but could not take off because of the Covid-19 pandemic, said the senior official.

The other project – connecting Ashram flyover with the DND flyway – was aimed at reducing traffic snarls in the area. It was announced on December 5 by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

“There are several priority pending projects of the Delhi government which got stuck due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They include the Ashram flyover-DND and CCTV projects. The Delhi government is likely to bring a proposal to finish all these projects. Right now, the government has asked all the departments to send a proposal for the pending priority projects. Once the list is ready, the government would take a re-look at the budget. Currently, it is expected to be something around Rs 900 crore. But the estimates can change,” said the official.“The Delhi government was forced to cut its expenses. But it has also realised that there are some projects which needed to be finished as early as possible. The proposal is in the planning stage. It is likely that this proposal will be developed this month.”