Firm delays Noida expressway resurfacing, to pay HEAVY PRICE now..

After missing multiple deadlines, a firm engaged for resurfacing a stretch of Noida-Greater Noida Expressway has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 1 crore, according to officials.  The Noida Authority had in 2019 engaged the firm for the road resurfacing work, which was to be completed in 2020 at a cost of Rs 70 crore but is still underway, the officials said.

The deadline for the project was then rescheduled to 2021 but the firm cited reasons like COVID-19 outbreak for the delay in resurfacing, a senior Noida Authority official said. "After the time extensions, the 16-km expressway stretch was scheduled to be resurfaced by mid-2022 however till this Sunday it was less than one-fourth completed," the official said, wishing not to be named.

"Accordingly, a penalty of Rs 1 crore has been imposed on the firm and a new deadline of November 30 set for the completion of the job," the official said. Failure in completing the work under the new deadline will lead to appropriate action against the firm by the Noida Authority, according to the official.

The Noida-Greater Noida Expressway is a 25-km-long six-lane road stretch connecting the twin cities in Gautam Buddh Nagar while over one lakh vehicles ply on it daily on an average, according to traffic police estimates. With one of its border linking Delhi, the other end connects with the Yamuna Expressway leading further into interiors of Uttar Pradesh.