Akhilesh's flagship Gomti project under Yogi's scanner

He's unhappy that despite lapse of two years and spending Rs 1,500 cr, work's only 60% complete

Within a fortnight of the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) government losing power in Uttar Pradesh, a flagship project of ex-chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has come under the spectre of incumbent Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi for delay and massive cost overrun.

Gomti Riverfront Development, which was earlier estimated to cost Rs 1,500 crore, is still only 60 per cent complete, even as it was projected to be complete by May 2017. Now an additional amount of Rs 1,500 crore is required to complete the project, which would increase the entire cost to Rs 3,000 crore.

Today, Adityanath conducted surprise inspection of Gomti Riverfront, which was one of Akhilesh's pet projects apart from Lucknow Metro Rail and Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

He expressed displeasure over the cost of the project burgeoning by 100 per cent and the project unlikely to meet its deadline. He was accompanied by top bureaucrats and some ministers.

The riverfront project was started about two years ago. Out of the total estimated project cost of Rs 1,500 crore, Rs 1,427 crore had already been incurred, while there is demand for additional funds to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore.

He has instructed chief secretary Rahul Bhatnagar to ascertain the actual additional investment needed to complete the entire project and submit a report within a week.

The CM observed that the construction agency had accorded priority to non-essential civil works such as water fountains rather than giving importance to the quality and developing people-friendly infrastructure.

During the previous SP regime, then UP irrigation and PWD minister Shivpal Singh Yadav and irrigation department principal secretary Deepak Singhal had visited Japan to study riverfront developments in Tokyo and Osaka cities, while collecting details of similar riverfront developments in other countries.

Later, the Akhilesh Yadav government had asked UP Irrigation and Water Resources Department, the nodal agency, to rejuvenate Gomti and develop a world-class riverfront on its banks.

However, due to reckless construction pace to complete a primary portion of the Gomti Riverfront for inauguration by Akhilesh before UP poll and faulty under-river digging, a busy over-bridge 'Gomti Barrage' had last year developed cracks and subsequently closed for public use. The bridge, which was one of the busiest links to the posh Gomti Nagar area, is still closed for repairs.

In another review meeting a few days ago, Adityanath had asked officials to prepare Detailed Project Report (DPR) for construction of Metro Rail in Allahabad, Meerut, Agra, Gorakhpur and Jhansi. The Akhilesh government had also taken up metro projects on priority.