Desperate Sheila offers cash for work

The Delhi government is offering engineers one month’s salary as bonus to finish Commonwealth Games projects on time. CM Sheila Dikshit is particularly worried about streetscaping, which isn’t even 50 per cent complete, government sources said. HT reports. Too little time, too much work

A desperate Delhi government is offering engineers one month’s salary as bonus to finish Commonwealth Games projects on time.

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Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is particularly worried about streetscaping, which isn’t even 50 per cent complete, government sources said. “The department should concentrate on that,” she told public works department (PWD) engineers on Thursday.

The PWD, along with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Council, is responsible for the streetscaping of all roads leading to Games venues.

With just 72 days to go, the engineers have made government officials more nervous with their reason for the slow pace of work. “They say they have expertise in building roads and buildings but have never done such (streetscaping) work,” a government official said.

Dikshit’s cabinet colleagues and several bureaucrats who have been given different areas to monitor have all come back with worrying feedback. The CM herself admitted two of the most important road projects — the Barapula Nullah elevated road and Ring Road bypass — are cause for concern.