No funds, work stalls at Halwara international airport

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, May 27

After being expedited recently, the work on the upcoming international airport at Halwara in Ludhiana has stopped. Reason: The Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), which was mandated by the state government to bear the expenditure, has failed to release the funds.

Job left midway

• PWD (B&R) Executive Engineer Adesh Gupta said both private agencies, which were allotted the project work, have left the work midway and have taken away their workforce and machinery as well after the bills raised by them for the work executed so far could not be paid for want of funds.

The govt is committed to complete the project at the earliest. Some issues are under discussion. — Surabhi Malik, DC

For the want of funds, both the contractors, who were separately allotted the work to construct interim terminal building and undertake the allied works of the big ticket project, have left the site with their men and machines.

A visit to the Air Force Station in Halwara revealed that except some watchmen, there was no workforce or machinery at the site and the work was lying standstill.

The Public Works Department (PWD), which was the main executing agency, has repeatedly raised demand for funds before the GLADA but to no avail.

In a latest communication to the GLADA Chief Administrator (CA) on Thursday, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the PWD (B&R) Executive Engineer Adesh Gupta wrote that both the contractors have raised bills before the department for payment of the work they have already done on the project but due to non-release of funds, the payments could not be made.

He has also noted that the shifting of utility services, including electricity poles and transformers, from the project site was also stalled due to lack of funds.

The communication, which was seventh in the series during the past five months since December 14 last when the first letter on the subject was written to the GLADA CA, categorically stated that despite repeated requests, no funds have yet been released following which great hardships were being faced to undertake the project work and get the utility services shifted from the project site.

The PWD (B&R) Executive Engineer has sought immediate release of funds for the project to ensure completion of the project work within the stipulated time frame.

Confirming the development, Gupta, when contacted, said both the private agencies, who were allotted the project work, have left the work midway and have taken away their workforce and machinery as well after the bills raised by them for the work executed so far could not be paid for want of funds.

The PWD (B&R) Executive Engineer said the work on the construction of the interim terminal building was done almost 12-15 per cent while the allied works were completed around 25 per cent before both the works were stopped midway. Pertinently, the work to construct the interim terminal was allotted to a Himachal Pradesh-based construction company M/s Synergy Thrislington of Solan at Rs 2,272.5 lakh on December 9 last and the allied work was allotted to a Ludhiana firm M/s Ceigall India Limited on November 8 at Rs 1,604.15 lakh on November 8 last. The foundation stone of the project was laid by Fatehgarh Sahib MP Dr Amar Singh on January 5.

Both were awarded the work on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode. The firms were to complete their allotted work within six months from the date of allotment.

While the deadline for completion of allied works has already lapsed on May 8, the interim terminal building was supposed to be completed till June 9.

Missed deadlines

After missing the January 2022 deadline earlier set by the then state government, led by Capt Amarinder Singh, to make the new airport operational following much delay in granting the final approval from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the PWD (B&R) had floated two separate tenders for construction of the airport project.

It was on October 22 last that the AAI had accorded formal nod to the construction of a new interim terminal building for the upcoming international airport at the cost of Rs 4,691.12-lakh following which Punjab Civil Aviation Secretary had issued the administrative approval for release of Rs 4,290.42 lakh through GLADA on October 26, 2021.

According to the AAI nod, the interim terminal building has to be constructed through the state government funds, which will be reimbursed to Punjab or its designated agency by the AAI after monetisation of its land at existing Sahnewal airport in Ludhiana.

Already, the construction of the airport link road and 2,333-mter-long boundary wall has been completed.

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