Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri Monday accused the Arvind Kejriwal government of stalling the ITO Skywalk project for one year, claiming that several projects including the Metro Phase-IV are stuck due to non-clearance from the AAP dispensation.
Puri, who inaugurated the skywalk and FOB at ITO, alleged that "false narrative" was being created and said some people who have nothing to do with the project are trying to take credit.
The housing and urban affairs minister claimed that when the Delhi government, which was supposed to provide 20 per cent of the project cost, did not give its clearance, his ministry decided to execute the same on its own.
The ITO Crossing and 'W' Point Junction are the two busiest crossing as far as the pedestrian traffic is concerned.
There are over 25 major offices and other institutions located in this area. Approximately 30,000 pedestrian cross various roads around ITO Crossing and 'W' Point. The skywalk, which has been constructed with a cost of Rs 55 crore, has six lifts.
"When I became the minister in September 2017, I was told that the skywalk project, which was cleared in 2016, were still awaiting the Delhi government's nod.
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"We then decided to execute this project on our own after getting no signal from the Delhi government," Puri said while addressing a gathering here.
The skywalk has become a bone of contention between the AAP dispensation and the BJP-led central government.
Last week, Delhi PWD minister Satyendar Jain said that no Aam Aadmi Party minister was invited for the inauguration of the project.
According to the ministry, the project has been executed with fund provided by the Centre. The PWD was an executing agency.
"We are seeing a similar pattern in every urban project (in Delhi). Projects like DelhiMeerut RRTS and Metro Phase-IV have been stuck (due to non-clearance from AAP governement)...
"One year back, we took this project in our hand, we completed this within one year," the Union minister said.
On its part, the Delhi government said, "No amount of tall claims and rhetoric" will be able to mislead the people of Delhi, who will finally judge, whether cutting ribbons will be able a substitute for hard work."