Ashram Flyover Reopening Not Delayed Due To Sisodia's Arrest, Likely To Reopen On March 6: Delhi CM Kejriwal

The inauguration of the six-lane Ashram extension flyover in the national capital region has not been postponed due to the arrest of deputy minister Manish Sisodia, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that inauguration of the six-lane Ashram extension flyover in the national capital region is not halted due to deputy minister Manish Sisodia's arrest, but there are some other reasons for the delay. 

The inauguration of the Ashram flyover extension in Delhi, which was scheduled for February 28, has been rescheduled. The refurbished flyover was expected to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. 

According to an earlier report by the news agency PTI, the delay was caused by the arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the suspected excise policy fraud. 

While addressing a news conference, the Delhi CM was questioned if the delay in the inauguration was caused due to the arrest of the deputy chief minister, to which he replied that, "it is not on a halt due to deputy CM's arrest, it would be inaugurated by March 6".

The Ashram flyover is a major thoroughfare in the national capital region, linking South Delhi to Noida and Ghaziabad. Ashram is known as a major traffic choke point, and the extension is expected to relieve commuters of the traffic bottlenecks that have become a frequent occurrence in this area. Passengers will be able to avoid three traffic lights between Ashram Chowk and the DND (Delhi Noida Direct) flyway thanks to the extension of the flyover.

The central probe agency arrested Sisodia, Arvind Kejriwal's deputy and one of the AAP's major leaders, in the alleged liquor policy scam case. On Monday, a Delhi court sentenced him to a five-day CBI remand. Sisodia has subsequently resigned from the Delhi cabinet, claiming that the claims levelled against him are untrue. In addition to PWD, Sisodia had the education portfolio in the Delhi administration.

Sisodia had earlier this month undertaken an on-site assessment of the Ashram flyover construction work. Authorities closed the flyover for 45 days on New Year's Eve. The flyover is yet to open to commuters, despite the fact that the deadline passed 15 days ago.

The six-lane flyover would provide a direct link to Noida. This will provide much-needed relief for individuals passing via a congested Asharam crossroads. The building of the flyover began in June 2020, following clearance from the government. The overall cost for the 1,425-meter-long flyover, which includes a ramp, is roughly Rs 125 crore, according to PTI.

(With Inputs From PTI)