No funds, no work on noida expressway cycling track

The Noida Authority has stopped work at the cycling event site, on the Noida Expressway, over non-receipt of funds from the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee (OC).

The Noida Authority has stopped work at the cycling event site, on the Noida Expressway, over non-receipt of funds from the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee (OC).

HT Image

"We have been asked to stop work and start only when the Authority issues fresh orders," said Vijay Kumar, a contractor's supervisor at the site.

"Three days ago, the Authority had written to the CWG OC, that work has been stopped at the site, as till date, not a single penny was received from them," A.K. Goel, Senior Project Engineer, told Hindustan Times today.

"The total project cost was around Rs.24 crore. Initially, CWG OC had agreed to pay Rs.15 crore, which was later reduced to Rs.10 crore. The

rest of the amount was being funded by the Authority itself," said Goel.

"The work was stopped symbolically to wake up the CWG OC members from their deep slumber and pay attention to the payment part too," said Goel.

"We have completed 80 percent of the work projected by the Authority. Stoppage of the work will not affect the overall progress, as we have the capacity to complete the rest of the project work in just 10 days," Goel added.

On October 13, the cycling event of the CWG is scheduled to be held on the 20-km-stretch of the Noida Expressway. Works which are yet to be done are installation of watch towers, CCTV cameras, sportsmen gallery and resurfacing of a 20 km stretch of the Expressway.

Cycling event trials are scheduled to be held from September 23 to October 12 between 11 am and 2 pm.

Traffic on the expressway will be diverted to other roads for five hours daily.