The decision to launch the ACB probe was taken at a meeting chaired by CM Rekha Gupta, where PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh was also present.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has been asked to probe “irregularities” in the construction of Barapullah Phase-III under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The role of certain officials of the Public Works Department (PWD), which is executing the project, may also be looked into, she said.
The decision to initiate the ACB probe was taken earlier in the day at an Expenditure Finance Committee meeting chaired by Ms. Gupta, where PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh was also present.
The CM alleged that the then AAP government had paid ₹55 crore over the project cost to a contractor following a legal dispute, despite the private firm offering to settle the matter for ₹35 crore.
AAP termed the allegations “baseless” and a “cover-up by the BJP government to hide its failures”.
“These investigations are not an instrument of governance. They’re excuses to avoid real work. It has been six months since the BJP came to power in Delhi, but no meaningful steps have been taken to address the problems facing citizens. The women of Delhi are still waiting for the promised monthly aid of ₹2,500,” the Opposition party said in a statement.
The project, work on which is under way, is part of the Barapullah elevated corridor that will connect Mayur Vihar Phase-I to Sarai Kale Khan. Once completed, the 3.5-km-long flyover is expected to improve connectivity between east, south, and central Delhi and help decongest Nizamuddin Bridge, Bhairon Marg, and Ring Road.
‘Corruption, negligence’
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) issued a statement quoting Ms. Gupta as having termed the alleged irregularities “yet another example of corruption and negligence by AAP”.
The CMO added that the project was scheduled to be completed in October 2017, but was repeatedly delayed and eventually went into arbitration.
“The ruling party [AAP] favoured a contractor with an award of ₹120 crore. When the payment was withheld, the company approached the Delhi High Court, which in May 2023 ordered the PWD to pay ₹175 crore, including interest and GST. The sum was subsequently paid during the tenure of then PWD Minister Atishi,” it stated.
The CM criticised the previous AAP government for “neither filing a review petition nor acting against the officers responsible”, adding that the payout had hampered other schemes of the PWD.
“The contractor had initially offered to settle the dispute for ₹35 crore, but the proposal was ignored,” read the statement, with an assurance by Ms. Gupta that the investigation would not hinder the ongoing project work.
Published – July 29, 2025 12:34 am IST
