Projects worth Rs 39,000-cr on paper,little to show on ground

Sources said that in the little more than four years since the SAD-BJP government came to power,projects worth around Rs 39,000 crore were announced in both PPP and EPC models. While projects worth Rs 2,000 crore announced earlier in the Congress regime have now been completed,work on almost all the other projects worth around Rs 37,000 crore is yet to start. Among these is the Rs 10,000 crore Ludhiana Metro whose draft detailed report was submitted to the government long back. Now the project cost has been cut down to around Rs 7,000 crore as a greater portion of the track was made overhead than underground,but still the project is on paper. Also,nothing has happened on the Rs 8,000-crore Pathankot-Ajmer Expressway Phase –I (up to Haryana border) for which an unsolicited proposal was given by Reliance.

The Mohali-Phagwara expressway for which the consultants Luis Berger submitted a detailed project report to the PIDB long back was shelved. The Mohali-Banur and Baddi expressway which starts from Lalru also met the same fate.

The two ring road projects at Amritsar and Ludhiana are also non-starters while three projects of six state toll roads worth Rs 385 crore are on hold.

Of the three high level bridges worth Rs 145 crore,the Makhu bridge on Sutlej is under construction and for the other bridges on Beas near Sultanpur Lodhi and on Chakki Nadi tendering is going on and work will be allotted soon.

As for the three bus stands at Patiala,Bathinda and Mohali,bids came for all three but the bidders of Patiala and Bathinda gave up and only work on the Mohali bus stand is on in full swing. For Patiala and Bathinda,bids are being called again.

Of the nine urban infrastructure projects worth Rs 600 crore,the five star-cum-Punjab Habitat Centre at Mohali finally has bidders. The five star hotel at Bathinda was given to Vipul and Blue Coast Hotels and Resorts got the three-star hotel site at Amritsar. Taj has started construction in Amritsar of its five star hotel. For three health projects worth Rs 425 crore,PIMS at Jalandhar was given to the NRI Academy of Sciences and Mohali and Bathinda Cancer Hospitals are under construction as these are with Max.

The two flying training institutes at Ludhiana and Amritsar were allotted to Indo-American Flying Institute after bidding. The two modern jails at Faridkot and Kapurthala are almost complete.

For the International Airport at Mohali,350 acres land has been acquired by paying Rs 450 crore to farmers and handed over to Airport Authority of India.

Despite repeated attempts,Sukhbir Singh Sandhu,Managing Director of Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB),was not available for comments.