Contractor found using subpar steel in Chilla elevated road: Noida authority
The discovery was made during a site inspection on Friday by Noida authority's chief executive officer Lokesh M, who was accompanied by officer on special duty Mahendra Prasad, general manager AK Arora, SP Singh, and other officials. The inspection revealed that the UP Bridge Corporation (UPBC), responsible for building the elevated road, was using steel that did not meet the authority's standards.
'We found that UPBCL is using substandard steel in the construction against the approved norms. We have strictly directed the agency to use the steel approved by the authority. We have also issued a notice to UPBCL seeking their reply against this anomaly,' said Lokesh M.
The CEO also instructed the civil department to impose a penalty on the agency for project delays and for failing to complete work on time. Despite seeking more time, the agency has made unsatisfactory progress on the ground, officials said.
The 5.6km Chilla Elevated Road project was launched in March 2025 to reduce daily congestion on the Delhi-Noida Link Road. The ₹893 crore project is expected to be completed in three years and will offer direct connectivity between Mayur Vihar and Greater Noida, Noida Sector 37, Kalindi Kunj, and Faridabad, among other locations.
The road aims to ease chronic traffic bottlenecks between Noida Sector 14A and the Mahamaya Flyover, offering relief to thousands of commuters during peak hours.
The project was first conceptualised in 2012, but faced delays due to funding issues from the Public Works Department (PWD), realignment around a GAIL gas pipeline, and Covid-19-related disruptions. After Delhi government approval in 2018, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation stone in January 2019.
In addition to this project, the CEO also reviewed the golf course in Sector 151A, a new building in Sector 96, the approach road for a new bridge across the Hindon between Sectors 145 and 146, the nearly finished Bhangel elevated road, and roads in Sector 18, officials said.
He also directed the water works department to involve IIT Delhi in a detailed city survey to find solutions for recurring waterlogging, which causes trouble for residents during rains, according to officials.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
US tariff hike threatens Kerala's export economy, says state finance minister
Thiruvananthapuram: Finance minister K N Balagopal warned that the 25% tariff imposed by the United States on Indian products could seriously hurt Kerala's economy. The higher tariff would badly impact exports of key products like marine foods, spices, and tea, he said. Balagopal said the US-led trade war with countries worldwide would cause a major crisis in global trade and economy, hitting India hard. He made these remarks while inaugurating a seminar on 'Post-Covid Development Challenges and Response: Through the lens of Kerala budgets,' organized by Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation. He added that developed countries like the US and Australia are pressuring the Union govt to open up the markets for agricultural products, milk and milk-based products. Reports suggest that Australia can sell milk in India at a much cheaper rate (Rs 30/litre). If cheaper milk floods Kerala's market, local milk producers could face serious difficulties. He criticized the campaign that Kerala is in a debt trap and its total debt has mounted to Rs 6 trillion. "This is absolutely baseless and a section of experts had been spreading false information about the debt status of Kerala through social media platforms," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo He clarified that Kerala's total debt at the end of FY 2025-26 would be around Rs 4,70,000 crore. According to the trend prevailing over the last three decades, Kerala's total debt has doubled in every five years. Kerala's debt could have crossed Rs 6 trillion as per this cyclical trend, he added. Economist M A Oommen added that Kerala's fiscal condition has worsened due to repeated natural disasters and the Covid pandemic, which have severely impacted the state's finances.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Delhi CM tables CAG audit report on welfare of construction workers in assembly
NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented a CAG audit report in the Assembly on Monday, highlighting irregularities in the registration of construction workers and indicating low expenditure on their welfare, despite the state government having a substantial fund of over Rs 3,500 crore available from 2019 to 2023. The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on 'Welfare of Building and Other Construction Workers' (BOCW) covered the four years up to March 2023 under the rule of the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi. The Delhi government did not have any reliable data relating to the number of BOCWs in Delhi, it said. The Welfare Board for the BOCWs could provide a complete database of only 1.98 lakh out of 6.96 lakh workers stated to be registered with it. "Out of 1.98 lakh beneficiaries of various welfare schemes, for whom images were made available to Audit, 1.19 lakh beneficiaries were linked with 2.38 lakh images - more than one image for individual beneficiary," it said, suspecting "ghost" worker registrations. Also, the availability of duplicate images, images with no faces, and multiple registrations of the same face indicated several "loopholes" in the registration process, the CAG report stated. In terms of renewals of registrations of the BOCW, Delhi was way behind the all-India performance of 74 per cent. Delhi recorded a renewal of just 7.3 per cent of workers as per the report. As of March 2023, the Welfare Board for the BOCWs had accumulated funds of Rs 3,579.05 crore, it added. "There was a huge difference in the figures of cess amount collected as per records of cess collectors, district records and the Board. The difference in figures of the cess as per District records and as per the Board for four years amounted to Rs 204.95 crore. The differences were not found reconciled," it noted. The registered companies pay one per cent of the construction cost as cess to the Board for undertaking various schemes for the welfare of the BOCWs. Also, the Delhi government did not maintain a reconciled database of cess assessed, collected and remitted. It thus lacked a system to ascertain the quantum of cess due and its timely collection, the report found. "Cases of incorrect assessment, short/deposit/realisation of cess were observed," it noted. Expenditure on welfare schemes ranged between 9.53 and 11.33 per cent only of the total receipts, except in 2021-22, when ex gratia payments were made to the BOCW to tide over the Covid pandemic period, it added.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
With federal funds gone, US states turn to trusts to sustain early education and child care systems
US states turn to trusts to sustain early education and child care systems The COVID-19 pandemic exposed just how essential child care is to the functioning of families, communities, and economies. During the crisis, US states relied heavily on federal funding through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to keep early childhood systems running. These temporary funds were used to lower costs for families, support providers, and stabilize a system that had long been under pressure. Now, with that federal funding gone, states are facing a familiar challenge: how to sustain and scale early education and child care programs without relying on inconsistent, short-term budgets. A growing number of states are responding with a new approach—permanent trust funds dedicated to early care and education. These funds are designed to provide reliable, long-term support for children, families, and educators across the country. The shift toward permanent funding structures Federal relief during the pandemic enabled states to make meaningful improvements in early care—from boosting wages for workers to expanding access for low-income families. But these improvements were largely temporary. As federal funding expired, states needed a way to preserve and expand these gains. Rather than relying on unpredictable annual appropriations, some states are building trust funds—dedicated financial reserves that generate stable funding year after year. These funds help insulate child care systems from economic downturns and political shifts, offering a more sustainable alternative to emergency aid or short-term grants. New Mexico: A model for other states New Mexico became one of the first states to embed early childhood education into its long-term financial planning. In 2022, it redirected a portion of its oil and gas revenues—traditionally set aside in a state land fund—toward early education. The trust has since enabled the state to make child care free for nearly all families, increase compensation for early educators, and create thousands of new child care slots. In 2025, lawmakers took the additional step of expanding the fund's minimum annual contribution, further securing its long-term impact. Connecticut: Using surplus revenue for children Connecticut established an early childhood trust fund in 2023 and began funding it in 2025 using unspent surplus revenues. The state's strict spending caps often leave funds unallocated at the end of the fiscal year. Instead of letting this money sit idle, lawmakers directed it into a dedicated trust. With an initial allocation of ₹300 million and potential for annual contributions of the same amount, the fund is expected to reach ₹1 billion by 2028. The goal is to eliminate child care costs for middle-income families and limit expenses for others, while also expanding the availability of early education services. Montana: A conservative state, a bold move In a significant move for a conservative-leaning state, Montana launched the 'Growth and Opportunity Trust' in 2025. The fund is broad in scope, with allocations for infrastructure, tax credits, and child care. Child care received an initial investment and a share of future interest generated by the fund. While the amount is modest compared to the overall fund, it marks a foundational shift in how the state views early care—not just as social support, but as core infrastructure. Other states and strategies Several other states have also created or expanded trust funds for early education. Louisiana, for instance, matches local investments in child care through a state-level fund. Kentucky used tobacco settlement money and private funding to establish a similar trust in 2022. Meanwhile, states like Washington and Massachusetts have implemented dedicated taxes to support early learning systems. Each model varies, but the underlying principle remains the same: stable, long-term funding is essential for a healthy child care system. Limitations and future outlook While trust funds offer stability, they are not a complete solution. The cost of building a truly universal early childhood system—including access to care from birth to age five and fair compensation for providers—is significantly higher than what most trust funds currently generate. Additionally, the continued health of these funds often depends on surplus revenues or investment returns, which may fluctuate. If state budgets tighten, future contributions to the funds could shrink or stop altogether. There is also a risk that lawmakers treat these trust funds as replacements for broader systemic investment, rather than complementary supports. Building long-term resilience in child care As federal support recedes, US states are increasingly taking child care funding into their own hands. Trust funds represent a forward-thinking approach that moves beyond short-term relief and toward permanent investment in children, families, and educators. By embedding early childhood care into their financial infrastructure, states like New Mexico, Connecticut, and Montana are not just reacting to a crisis—they are laying the foundation for long-term resilience in a system that families rely on every day. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
