HC pulls up PWD for delay in its office building construction

Delhi High Court has rapped the public works department (PWD) of the city government for the "lack of progress" in construction of a new office building for the court, even three years after its foundation stone was laid.
Maintaining that the delay has led to increase in the cost of construction, the high court said that despite repeated adjournments granted by it, the timeline promised by PWD has not been followed in constructing the office building, to be known as S-Block, whose foundation was laid in May 2013.
The civic body has assured the court that the tender for the block would be completed by this month end and the bid finalisation process July 20, while the work would be allotted in the next seven days.

"We are pained to note that despite repeated adjournments, the time line promised by the PWD has not been followed.... Let the time line be placed on record on an affidavit by a responsible person.
"Any violation of the time line shall be viewed strictly as we may notice that foundation of this building was laid as far back as on May 2, 2013 and since then hardly any progress has been made. Cost of construction is increasing, besides the public is suffering on account of paucity of space and lack of infrastructure," the court said in its order and listed the matter in July to monitor the progress in the work.

The order came on a plea filed in December last year seeking directions to Delhi government to provide sufficient funds for completion of construction of the new office building which is to be built on a 2.27 acres of land at Bapa Nagar area on the Zakir Hussain Marg here.
In January this year, Delhi government had told the court that 70 per cent of the construction amount has been sanctioned.
With regard to the remaining amount, the Centre on February 9 had informed the court that the normal assistance to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi has been enhanced to Rs 49.90 crores so that the same could be utilised for construction of the new building.