Foundation stone laying of Dwarka Expressway by PM to be delayed
Gurugram: There may be a dismay again for over 90,000 families living around Dwarka expressway as Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not be able to lay the foundation stone of the 28-kilometer stretch on August 15. According to sources, the delay has happened due to lack of meeting the deadline of the Kundli -Manesar -Palwal (KMP) Expressway at the Sonepat stretch. The Prime Minister was expected to launch the projects simultaneously. To further add to the disappointment, the projects may now be inaugurated either in September or in October.
Angry over yet another delay, the residents have chosen "Independence Day" to hold a symbolic protest in order to pressurize the government authorities over improving the infrastructure of the area. There have been several announcements by senior officials as well as the ministers in regard to the highway which has been pending for over 11 years.
The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) chairman V Umashankar, in June this year, had announced that the high-speed corridor is likely to be completed within 18 months. The public official also mentioned that construction is expected to begin as soon as all the litigation regarding the expressway has concluded. Following the announcement, there has been a hectic process that has been followed for allotment of the plots and razing all the structures.
No one can relate more to the challenges in the growth and expansion of Gurugram than the 90,000 home buyers on both sides of the carriageway. For long the residents have been demanding for the completion of 28-kilometre of road that will lead to the growth of social infrastructure in the area. However, legal hurdles in land acquisition and inadequate compensation provided to villagers have resulted in the project prolonging since 2007.
In order to put pressure on the government, certain residents have taken an online portal to put forth the difficulties faced by them. "Around the Dwarka Expressway, we are living in a stone age, no light, no water, security, sewerage, roads, and hospitals. School children must be brought from all over the city to demonstrate what stone –age in the urban scenario looks like," says Sushil Kumar. A grievance that is being shared by lakhs of home buyers from Delhi–NCR was expressed by Sanjay Singh who said, "We are moving to the poor category slowly by paying the rents and easy monthly instalments (EMI)," As NHAI is expected to take over the reins of developing the expressway, residents are also demanding that the Kherki Dhaula toll should be removed and better streamline connectivity should also be developed.
