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A new twist to the Ghazipur slaughterhouse project

Sandeep Joshi

New committee to decide the final design and rationalise the cost

NEW DELHI: Giving a new twist to the ambitious Ghazipur slaughterhouse project, Municipal Commissioner A.K. Nigam has now given clearance to a new nine-member committee that would decide the final design and rationalise cost of the multi-crore project and fix a final time limit for its completion.

The civic body, which has already been reprimanded by the Supreme Court in failing to speed up the construction work of the project, will also apprise the Apex court about the new development. The project that commenced in 2004 after the Supreme Court ordered relocation of the Idgah slaughterhouse to a new location is all set to miss the June 30 deadline. And with the construction work lying virtually suspended for the past few months, it might take at least an year before the modern abattoir is made fully operational.

Apart from negotiating with the contractor for timely completion of the project on turn-key basis and deciding the new cost, the nine-member committee comprising experts from Indian Institute of Technology, India Veterinary Research Institute and other organisation besides senior MCD officials will also look into allegations of bungling and financial irregularities in the project.

"The committee will fix a final deadline for completion of the project and impose heavy penalty if the contractor fails to fulfil the commitment," said a committee member, adding that the cost factor has also been a controversial issue. "The committee will try to rationalise the cost of the project and try to keep the entire project cost around Rs.110 crores," he added.

The initial cost of the project was finalised at Rs.65 crores, but with the additions of new features and expansion of the project, the cost was first increased to a whopping Rs.130 crores and then again to Rs.185 crores, raising many eyebrows within the civic body. Interestingly, cutting across party lines Councillors last year had even demanded the Central Bureau of Investigation in the entire project alleging financial bungling in it.

Terming the project as financially unviable for the cash-strapped MCD, Councillors had also sought action against then Municipal Commissioner Rakesh Mehta who was instrumental in conceiving the project. However, with his exit from the MCD, the work came to a standstill and instead process was started to bring the cost down.

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