AAP, not BJP, doing real nation building, CM claims as he paves way for two flyovers

NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said his government was contributing to “nation building” by constructing new flyovers, roads, mohalla clinics and schools in the capital.
Laying the foundation of two flyovers — at Shastri Park and Seelampur in northeast Delhi — the AAP convener said that BJP had “ruined” the country with its divisive politics, demonetisation, poor implementation of goods and services tax, Rafale scam and sealing of shops in Delhi.
“We are constructing 21,000 new classrooms in government schools, setting up mohalla clinics, have made electricity cheaper and provided water to 400 colonies in the last four years. This is real nation building,” Kejriwal said.
Calling upon people to vote for AAP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to stop the “Modi-Shah duo”, the CM said Congress cannot defeat BJP in Delhi. “Vote for a party that can defeat BJP. In Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s party can defeat BJP. In UP, it is the SP-BSP combine and in Tamil Nadu DMK. Similarly, in Delhi only AAP can defeat BJP. If you vote for Congress, BJP will win,” he said. “Neither Modi nor Rahul Gandhi will become PM this time,” he added.
The two flyovers, to be built at a cost of Rs 303 crore, will provide a signal-free journey between Kashmere Gate ISBT and Apsara Border near Seemapuri. PWD will also widen the road and improve pedestrian facilities. The project is likely to be completed in 18 months and would be ready by August 2020.
The project was cleared by the expenditure finance committee in May 2018, while the Delhi cabinet gave its nod in July 2018.
Officials said the Shastri Park flyover will have two carriageways of three lanes each. There will be a cloverleaf for Apsara Border-bound traffic coming from Gandhi Nagar and another for vehicles headed towards from Khajuri to access the flyover. The total length of the flyover will be around 700 metres. At Seelampur, a 1,200m single-carriageway flyover would be built along an existing facility.
For improving pedestrian movement at Seelampur intersection, PWD will widen the existing underpass by three metres. The project also includes widening of the road to provide free left turn towards Jaffrabad to help decongest the crossing.
Shastri Park junction and Seelampur are the most congested points on GT Road between Kashmere Gate ISBT and Apsara Border and often witness long snarls. According to an estimate, almost two lakh vehicles pass through these two chokepoints daily.
The projects will reduce travel time and save 13,802 man-hours per day. “They will also reduce fuel consumption by 2,625 litres. The benefit will overpass the cost of the project in four years,” said an official.