News: Funding fails to get CM nod, SPR revamp project stuck-13-12-2020
GURUGRAM: The plan for the redevelopment of the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) is hanging in uncertainty as it didn’t get approval from the chief minister at the recently-held meeting of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). The project, expected to cost around Rs 230 crore, is pending due to the delay in permission for funding.
According to the sources within GMDA, the project had been listed for discussion in a supplementary agenda document and was also discussed in the meeting. “There were some concerns over the cost of the project and the project hasn’t been approved yet,” said a senior official.
The project has now been pending for over a year and a half now. According to the proposal, GMDA will be funding a part of the project and the state government is expecting to raise the remaining amount from developers who have projects along the road.
“In case the developers refuse to pay, we will be either adjusting it against the external development charges (EDC) or charge it as cess,” an official said. Golf Course Road was developed in a similar manner, where the costs were adjusted against DLF’s EDC dues.
Meanwhile, the road continues to be in a dilapidated condition as it is not able to bear heavy traffic. It has potholes and craters throughout the year, causing great inconvenience to the commuters. While GMDA keeps carrying out patchwork on potholes, the damage is too recurrent for temporary repairs to solve the issue.
The state government had approved the redevelopment of the SPR during a GMDA meeting in 2018. The detailed project report was finalised a year later. The project includes the widening of the road and construction of two underpasses and three flyovers at each junction between Sector 55-56 Chowk and Vatika Chowk. While the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will be developing the underpass at Vatika Chowk, the rest of the project will be undertaken by GMDA.
