Delhi govt approves 8 infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,572cr

The Delhi government Friday approved eight important infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,572 crores, including construction and expansion of three state-run hospitals, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

Sisodia chaired a meeting of the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) where he approved the projects, which include the construction of 12,000 additional classrooms in schools.

He said the project of construction of an integrated campus of GB Pant Engineering College will be done in two phases and it will take two years to complete the project.

The infrastructure will be rebuilt in a modern way and will cost around Rs 526 crores, Sisodia said, adding the rebuilt campus will be better than its neighbour - the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-Delhi).

The new campus will have upgraded hostel for 400 students, academic blocks, administration, canteen, libraries etc.

In the first phase, whole academic, administration and hostel will be done while in the second phase, activity blocks, canteen, central blocks etc will be constructed, Sisodia said.

The second project is related to traffic, he said.

"Traffic is a big issue between Ashram and DND flyover. Under this project, the government will extend the Ashram flyover to DND flyway and from there, one lane will be extended to Sarai Kale Khan to reduce traffic congestion," he said.

The project will be completed in 15 months and cost around 128 crores, the minister said.

In the third project, the government will construct a six-lane 149-metre-long bridge near Chhawla-Najafgarh drain, next to an already constructed narrow bridge. The project will take two years and Rs 36 crores will be spent on it, he added.

The next three projects are related to hospitals.

The project will involve the expansion and remodelling of Shri Dada Dev Matri Avum Shishu Chikitsalaya in Dabri which has 106 beds.

"The hospital will be renovated and new blocks will be constructed. The number of beds will be increased to 281. This project will take 18 months and Rs 54 crores," Sisodia said.

The next project will involve the addition and remodelling of Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital which has 200 beds.

According to the minister, 573 beds will be added and it will be converted into a 773-bed hospital, including 513 beds as part of an integrated cancer hospital. It will cost Rs 244 crore, he added.

The bed strength in Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital will be enhanced from 339 to 560 for which the committee has approved Rs 189.77 crores and has given a time of 33 months, the minister said.

As many as 12,000 additional classrooms under two zones of south and southeast district will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 32.36 crores.

By the end of this year, 11,000 classrooms will be constructed, the minister added.

In the last project, the redevelopment of Chandni Chowk from Lal Jain Mandir to Fatehpuri mosque, the facility will be created for pedestrianisation and non-motorised vehicles at an estimated cost of 65.63 crores, he added.