Work on Rs 5,763 crore Eastern Peripheral Expressway begins

NEW DELHI: Work on the ambitious Rs 5,763- crore Eastern Peripheral Expressway, with a plan to build it in 400 days, has kick-started after redressal of land acquisition issues, government said today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the 135-km long Eastern Peripheral Expressway with an estimated cost of Rs 5,763 crore in November last year along with Rs 2,274 crore Western Peripheral Expressway and a eight-laning project worth Rs 2,129 crore.

"The work of Eastern Peripheral Expressway, which was held up due to land acquisition problems has kick-started on the Palwal side after the release of enhanced compensation by the NHAI as awarded by the Arbitral Tribunal," a statement from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said today.

The farmers are now happily handing over the land to NHAI in Palwal district, the statement said adding that Chairman, NHAI, Raghav Chandra has complimented Deputy Commissioner, Palwal for his support in resolving farmer issues.

In a meeting with all five contractors of the project -- Sadbhav Engineering, Jai Prakash Associates, Ashoka Buildcon, Oriental Structural Engineers and Gayatri Projects, Chairman, NHAI "has impressed upon them the need to plan ahead with military-precision so as to complete the project in 400 days as desired by Prime Minister," the statement said.

It said chief secretaries of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have again been requested to ensure that there is no obstruction to NHAI work.

"It is now likely that the problems in other areas will also be resolved very soon. Further, to monitor the project on real time basis, a web based 'APP' has been developed and the photos of the running work shall be uploaded which can be viewed for monitoring by NHAI headquarter," it said.

Chairman of NHAI is reviewing the project with officers on almost daily basis, it said adding, the next meeting with Commissioners of Rohtak, Meerut and Gurgaon & DMs/DCs of Sonepat, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Faridabad and Palwal districts is scheduled today.

All contractors have mobilised their resources including manpower and machinery.

The project on completion will help in decongesting the traffic in the national capital.

According to information, NHAI has transferred Rs 1,530 crore for land compensation and of this Rs 1,335 crore has already been paid to people whose land were acquired.

The project work has been divided into six packages - 21 km stretch in Sonepat-Baghpat, 24.5 km stretch in Baghpat-Ghaziabad, 24.5 km stretch in Ghaziabad-GB Nagar, 22 km stretch in GN Nagar, 21 km stretch in GN Nagar-Faridabad and 22 km stretch in Faridabad-Palwal.

The project falls in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said, "The government is committed to decongest Delhi. We have set an ambitious target. This is to complete the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway in 400 days."

Earlier the deadline for the project was set as two-and-a-half years.