Related Posts

Delhi CM orders ACB probe into lapses linked to Barapullah Road Phase-III project

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday ordered a probe by the Anti-Corruption Branch into irregularities in the on-going Barapullah Elevated Road Phase-III project plagued by cost and time overruns.

While chairing a meeting of the Expenditure Finance Committee on Monday, the CM reviewed the project and took note of the concerns raised over the Public Works Department’s (PWD) negligence and the prolonged delays.

The Chief Minister instructed senior officials to ensure its timely completion, noting that a payment of Rs 175 crore to the contractor was necessitated because the previous government had prevented the company from executing the work.

CM Gupta called the project “yet another example of corruption and negligence under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government”.

She highlighted that the project, scheduled for completion in October 2017, was repeatedly delayed and eventually went into arbitration.

The ruling favoured the contractor with an award of Rs 120 crore. When the payment was withheld, the company approached the High Court, which in May 2023 ordered the PWD to pay Rs 175 crore, including interest and GST. The sum was subsequently paid during the tenure of then PWD Minister Atishi.

CM Gupta criticised the AAP government for neither filing a review petition nor acting against the lax officials, adding that the payout hampered other PWD schemes.

She also disclosed that the contractor had initially offered to settle the dispute for Rs 35 crore, but the proposal was ignored, resulting in the escalation of the matter to the High Court.

The elevated road will run from Barapullah Nallah to Mayur Vihar Phase-III via Sarai Kale Khan.

PWD Minister Pravesh Verma and officials informed the Chief Minister that the project would gain pace as permissions for tree removal along the route were expected shortly.

The Delhi Cabinet approved the project in September 2011. An amount of Rs 1,260.63 crore was allocated for the project in December 2014.

The construction work began in April 2015, with a stipulated completion period of 30 months.

The original estimated cost of the project was Rs 1,260.63 crore, out of which Rs 1,238.68 crore has been spent so far. The total project cost is now estimated to be Rs 1,330 crore.

Currently, 87 per cent of the work has been completed. Permission for the early removal of trees is expected soon, after which the project will gain momentum.

For the financial year 2025–26, Rs 150 crore has been allocated, of which Rs 86.43 crore had been spent by June 2025.

–IANS

rch/pgh

BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan consolidates lead over SP’s Ajit Prasad in Milkipur bypoll

Ayodhya, Feb 8 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate, Chandrabhanu Paswan is leading by over 40,000 votes in the Milkipur Assembly bypoll, as per the latest trends after the 18th round of counting on Saturday.

According to the Election Commission’s website, Paswan has secured 92,260 votes, while Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Ajit Prasad has received 49,374 votes. Azad Samaj Party’s Santosh Kumar is in third place with 1,976 votes.

With just few more rounds to go, BJP’s Paswan has consolidated his lead over Prasad.

The bypoll was necessitated after Awadhesh Prasad, who won the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat in 2024, vacated the Milkipur constituency.

The BJP fielded Chandrabhanu Paswan, while the SP nominated Ajit Prasad, the son of Awadhesh Prasad. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress did not contest the election at all.

Voting took place on February 5 and since polling day, the SP has repeatedly accused the police administration and the Election Commission of electoral malpractice.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar attributed the BJP’s lead to its development agenda.

“I had gauged the mood of the people. They want the ‘milk’ of development. The BJP is contesting with the ‘milch cow’ of progress, while the Opposition is merely fighting with a cow. Voters will choose the milch cow,” he said.

On SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s allegations against the Election Commission, Rajbhar dismissed them, saying, “He has nothing substantial to claim.”

When asked about BJP’s strong performance in Delhi’s election trends, he remarked, “People trust PM Modi’s work and are voting accordingly.”

Regarding the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Rajbhar confirmed his party’s continued alliance with the BJP, stating, “We are with the NDA and will contest the elections together.”

The Milkipur seat, part of the politically significant Ayodhya district, has turned into a prestige battle between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP.

–IANS

skp/rad

Calcutta HC bars inviting political person for any event at Jadavpur University

Kolkata, March 27 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Thursday barred inviting any political personality to any event or seminar at Kolkata’s iconic Jadavpur University.

The division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay also directed the Jadavpur University authorities to submit, withing the next three weeks, an affidavit on the existing state of security arrangements within the campus.

It also advised the university authorities to ensure that only seminars or events related to academics are conducted within the campus to prevent the invitation of political personalities to such events.

Amid the tension and ruckus within the university campus earlier this month in the presence of West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu, a public interest litigation was filed at the Calcutta High Court alleging the absence of adequate security arrangements within the university campus.

The matter came up for hearing at the division bench on Thursday and after the hearing, the latter gave the following directions to the university authorities.

During the hearing, the division bench had also questioned why the Jadavpur University authorities had been reluctant to seek help of the police despite there being ruckus and tension within the campus in the past.

It also observed that the university authorities should give specific answers to this point raised on the day of the next hearing.

On March 1, a ruckus broke out within the Jadavpur University campus when Education Minister Basu’s car was allegedly stopped after it entered the campus, and a scuffle followed.

The students were demanding immediate elections for the university’s students’ council.

The protesting students alleged that while Basu decided to leave the campus in the face of the protests, his vehicle deliberately hit two agitating students, following which they were severely injured and had to be hospitalised.

Amid the protests, the Minister received minor injuries and fell ill. He was taken to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital and was discharged later.

–IANS

src/vd