Centre sits on Eastern Peripheral Expressway, approval proposal pendding for 2 months

NEW DELHI: The proposed Eastern Peripheral Expressway has repeatedly been touted as a means to check the acute vehicular pollution in Delhi.

Before the last assembly elections, the Centre had announced that it would lay the foundation stone soon. But the proposal to approve the Rs 6,000-crore project has been pending before the Cabinet for over two months.

This is despite the fact that the Supreme Court has refused to extend the new deadline beyond July 2018 and the Centre has told National Green Tribunal that it would expedite the awarding of this project as a part of its comprehensive plan to check air pollution in the capital.

The road transport and highways ministry's proposal, which has been with the government since March, is yet to be placed before the Cabinet.

"The financial bids have already been received by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). But these cannot be opened and the work cannot be awarded till the Cabinet approves the project. Left with no option, we are only extending the deadlines for opening the bids," said an NHAI official.

The ring expressway 135km Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal eastern e-way and 136km Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Western Peripheral Expressway was proposed in 2005 after the Supreme Court had ordered decongestion of Delhi roads. The bypasses, which were originally to be completed by 2010, are likely to take at least 60,000-70,000 vehicles off the city roads.

Sources said the latest road block is the tussle between the Delhi government and the transport ministry over sharing the increased land acquisition cost. The Delhi government, which needs to pay a total of Rs 1,794.8 crore, has already deposited Rs 653.5 crore and is reluctant to pay more. Haryana has paid Rs 327 crore and still needs to pay Rs 570.6 crore as per the revised cost.

TOI has learnt that the Centre is worried that if Delhi's demand is met, Haryana might also seek similar relief. "But how long can you sit on a decision when we have committed to fast development of this expressway to decongest Delhi roads and put some check on pollution?" wondered an official.