Noida CEO tells staff to review ongoing project in Sector 96

The Rs477-crore project started in 2016 was supposed to be ready by 2019, which seems unlikely

Noida authority chief executive officer Amit Mohan Prasad has directed his staff to review the project commissioned by it in Sector 96.

The building was to house the Noida authority’s office, but so far the authority has only been able to dig the ground for laying the foundation. (HT File Photo)

The Noida authority had in February, 2016, started work on a Rs477 crore state-of-the art green building project in Sector 96. However, the authority so far has only been able to dig the ground for laying the foundation of this building that will house the Noida authority’s office. The project was supposed to be ready by 2019, a deadline that it most certainly is likely to miss.

“I have directed the staff to review all projects that are either going slow or are yet to be started. The ongoing projects will be completed as per their scheduled deadline. A review is needed because we do not want to spend money on projects which are not needed immediately for city. We will take up only those projects on a priority basis that are needed immediately for the public,” said Prasad.

Apart from Noida’s green building project, a 3km skywalk — that was supposed to connect Sector 16, 38A and and Botanic Metro station, among other buildings nearby, too has been on the backburner.

The authority had in November, 2015 appointed a consultant for this project. A feasibility report of the project was also made in 2015. But nothing much has moved after that.

“We should not waste public funds on unnecessary projects that have been proposed to benefit private contractors. We will take up and execute projects for public not for ‘contractors’ henceforth. Works like road repair, drain construction or sewage repair will be done on priority basis,” said Prasad.

Prasad has also directed his staff that ongoing projects such as a building for a district hospital in Sector 39 and multi-level parking in Sector 38A should be built on a sustainable model.

The CEO’s direction of sustainable projects came after the authority realized that a government hospital building in sector 30 requires ₹80 lakh monthly for only paying its electricity bill.

“The Sector 30 government hospital building is made with such a design that he requires ₹80 lakh monthly as electricity bills. It will not be easy to pay such a huge bill in future when the authority doesn’t have a source of income. Therefore, the CEO wants new buildings to be built in a way that they require minimum maintenance,” said an official of the Noida authority.