Sheila unhappy with pace of CP redevelopment project

NEW DELHI: Unhappy over slow pace of the Rs 600-crore Connaught Place redevelopment project, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today pulled up the contractor for the delay and asked it to speed up the work which was supposed to be completed before the Commonwealth Games in October 2010.

At a meeting, Dikshit told contractor Engineers India Limited to finish the work at the earliest and directed NDMC to review the progress regularly as delay in the project is causing losses to traders and inconvenience to public.

The contractor assured Dikshit that the work will be finished by December but she did not accept the assurance saying several deadlines have already been missed by it.

Dikshit asked Chief Secretary P K Tripathi and top officials of NDMC to personally visit the Connaught Place to monitor progress of work and suggest ways and means expedite it further.

In September last year too, Dikshit had issued a similar directive asking the contractor to prepare a chart listing the progress of work on a monthly basis.

Representatives of New Delhi Traders Association had been requesting Dikshit to ensure early completion of work as they were incurring losses due to the ongoing construction activities.

In the second phase of redevelopment, eight new subways in the Outer Circle and a tunnel in the Middle Circle are being constructed.