Complete riverfront project by May :CM
40MINUTE REVIEW Adityanath raises questions on the project’s budgetary allocation, pulls up officials for pending work
LUCKNOW: The state capital’s Gomti Riverfront Development (GRFD) project is expected to be completed soon, with chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspecting the work on Monday and directing the departments concerned to finish the remaining jobs by May. He also raised questions over the project’s “high budgetary allocation”.
The CM was accompanied by deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma and other ministers including Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Swati Singh, Suresh Khanna, Ashutosh Tandon and Brajesh Pathak.
During the 40-minute long review, he enquired about the budget of the scheme, which is estimated to be over Rs 1,000 crore. GRFD was among former CM Akhilesh Yadav’s pet projects.
The chief minister was heard pulling up officials of irrigation department — one of the main construction agencies of the project — for not utilising the project money properly. “If so much was spent then why are Gomti waters still muddy and pale yellow?” he was heard asking an official.
The chief minister then directed the officers to present detailed information on how the funds allocated to the project were utilised. Besides, he also took a look at the detailed project report (DPR) of GRFD and scanned the project map, directing officials to extend it by 200 metres - till Kala Kothi.
CM Yogi Adityanath also probed into the reasons behind the delay in tapping of drains that are still polluting the river. He said he wanted all the drains to be tapped and all the remaining work to be completed in the next two months.
He ordered all principal secretaries to review the project and bring down unnecessary expenditure with immediate effect to save public money.
The CM remarked that the construction agency had wasted public money in “non-essential work” such as installing fountains.
During the review meeting, the chief minister also said that as Gomti was a tributary of the holy Ganga, it should be covered under the ‘Namami Gange’ project.
The GRFD project was launched in 2013 with an aim to beautify the banks of the river as well as to channelise it. As per sources, the former SP government had allocated Rs 1,500 crore to the project.
Of this, Rs 1,000 crore have so far been spent on the project that not only includes beautification but also creation of attractions such as a jogging track, a cycling track, musical fountains, a water theatre and water bus facility.
All this has made the riverfront a sought-after destination among city folks.
It is said that the idea to beautify Gomti banks was first conceived during the rule of the previous BJP government when Lalji Tandon was the urban development minister.