Centre likely to approve Eastern Peripheral Expressway project today

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet is likely to approve the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) project on Thursday so that work can be awarded. This move has put the ongoing controversy between the Centre and Delhi government over the outstanding payment for increased land acquisition on the backburner.

NHAI has already received dozens of financial bids for the 136km expressway and is waiting for the Cabinet nod. The Rs 5,700 crore project has been divided into six stretches for early completion of the six-lane road connecting Palwal, Ghaziabad and Kundli.

EPE, which is half of the expressway around Delhi, will work as a bypass for the national capital and along with Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) help divert at least 60,000-70,000 vehicles per day, mostly trucks and commercial ones, from Delhi roads. This is crucial for decongestion and checking air pollution.

The Cabinet decision on EPE is also being seen as rolling out of the first expressway project under the Modi government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently asked the road transport ministry to fast track expressway projects.

Meanwhile, Haryana government, which is implementing the WPE, has received six bids for the remaining work on the Kundli and Manesar stretch. A contractor has already been engaged for completing work on the remaining Manesar and Palwal stretch. A Haryana government official said the state cabinet is likely to take a decision soon for the Kundli-Manesar stretch. "We will award the work in less than a month," he said.

The ongoing tussle between Delhi and the Centre over higher payment for land acquisition has been the main stumbling block in rolling out the EPE project.

"We will deal with the issue in due course, but the project cannot be delayed any further. The expressway has already been delayed by years, which has had multiple impacts on Delhi's environment and mobility," said a government official.