The new ITO skywalk was inaugurated on October 15 by the PWD. The Rs 54-crore pedestrian bridge is 570 metres long and will ease the way for users along Mathura Road, Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Sikandra Road. The network has seven entry/exit points at different location locations and is expected to be used by around 40,000 walkers every day. The ITO Skywalk project was conceived of in 2003, finalised only in April 2016.

It was inaugurated by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Mr Hardeep Singh Puri. New Delhi member of Parliament (MP) Meenakshi Lekhi and Delhi Lieutenant governor Anil Baijwal were also present on the occasion. The incident made headlines when no representative from the elected Delhi government was invited for the inauguration.

The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Mr Hardeep Singh Puri in his speech on inauguration day patting his own back took the credit for the construction of the ITO skywalk claiming that the project was conceptualised, funded and executed by the central government.

But the ruling party at Delhi—AAP (Aam Aadami Party) has negated the claim alleging that Centre or BJP (Bharatiya Janta Party) is trying to hijack the work done by the Delhi government by inaugurating the project.

Social media too reacted in various ways. We got an infographic being circulated and shared in various FB groups. The infographic can be seen here

In the infographic being shared, the claim has been made that ITO skywalk was made by Kejriwal government while Modi government is going to inaugurate it.

Who conceptualised the project?

In the year 2003-04, a foot-over-bridge (FoB) was planned to be constructed. However, the project could not see any further course of action as it was rejected by the DUAC (Delhi Urban Arts Committee) a statutory body under an act of parliament, Government of India. In 2013-14 the PWD (Public Works Department) under Delhi Government when it came to the power for the first time, initiated a fresh proposal separating FoB from Skywalk owing to the deaths happening at the ITO
crossing. The present PWD minister of Delhi Satyendra Jain who was given the folio of PWD ministry in the year 2015, in a statement issued in the public domain
narrates the following: 

“From a competition inviting designs for the Skywalk, a committee comprising experts from the Delhi School of Planning and Architecture, DUAC and PWD first shortlisted 17 entries, out of which five best entries were chosen for final selection. The best design on which the ITO skywalk stand today was also awarded with the handsome amount of Rs. 2.5 lakhs. In August 2016, the PWD presented the Skywalk design to the DUAC, which impressed the officials of DUAC by its design; it not only approved but also offered to sanctioned 80 % funding for the project under the erstwhile Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), which is now known as AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation). In accordance with the funding agreement, the Delhi government was to provide around Rs 12 crore for the project out of the total estimated cost of around Rs 54 crore.”

Ref: crimehilore.in

However, Puri said as soon as he joined the cabinet in his current capacity, he realised that many projects that were approved in 2016 under the urban development fund — where 80% of the funding is provided by Centre — were awaiting clearance from Delhi government. “The projects, including this skywalk, remained stuck for over a year because Delhi government wasn’t even agreeing to provide 20% (of funds),” he claimed.

What’s the fact?

In my fact hunt, I found the above narrative, of the PWD minister to be correct. Here is how…

In order to find out the truth behind the narrative of Delhi PWD minister, I decided to look for the sanctions by the DUAC during the said time by the Delhi government. It was found on the official website of DUAC that on its 1406th meeting which took place on July 16 2016, the design for the ITO skywalk project was indeed cleared and was conceptually approved by the commission.

Hence The narrative above is verified by the information provided by DUAC (Delhi Union Arts Commission) of its meetings available on its website.

Above is the picture of the image available to the public at the DUAC website. Serial number 4 represents the ITO skywalk project in the image below. The central government, however, has so far not provided any document nor has refuted the statement of Satyendra Jain put in public domain.

So, who should get the credit?

From the research conducted it has come to light that the Delhi government has shown interest in the ITO skywalk project from the very beginning. Deciphering the claims made by the Union minister of Housing and Urban Affairs by breaking them into pieces.

What’s the fact

It has been established by this research that claims made by central government “That it was planned, funded and executed by the Central government Is not completely true.”

Here is how
Planning: As explained in the answer to the first question. In my research, it was found that the Delhi Government persisted with the idea of the ITO skywalk. The initial idea was very different from the construction built earlier a FoB (foot over bridge) was planned. The idea was rejected by DUAC initially presented to it in the year 2006-07. When the Delhi government first came to power in 2013-14 it initiated a fresh proposal to DUAC.
Then Delhi government decided to separate skywalk from FoB and came up with the new design. The Delhi government conducted a competition inviting design for the ITO Skywalk. It was this design which impressed the officials was conceptually approved and considered for the sanction. Impressed by the design the DUAC decided to fund 80% of expenditure by itself and left remaining 20% on Delhi Government.

Ref: crimehilore.in (The link is the statement issued by Delhi PWD minister in the public domain. Herein the minister has explained how the development in the matter of ITO Skywalk progressed then)

The Central government has not refuted the statement issued in public domain by the Delhi PWD minister. Further, unlike AAP, the Central government has so far remained mute on the design selection and has not provided any information about the design for the project.

This justifies the stand and statement of Delhi Government. 

Funding

The Central government was supposed to fund 80% of the total expenditure for the ITO skywalk and Delhi Government 20%. The total cost of the project was estimated to be around 54 crores. The Union minister in his inauguration day speech had claimed that it was totally funded and by the Central government. Also, a press release released by the PIB mentions that the Union minister has sanctioned 54 crores of rupees for the construction of ITO skywalk, wherein 80% of the fund has been sanctioned from UDF (Urban Development Fund) and remaining 20% by DDA (Delhi Development Association).

What’s the truth?

However, the claim by the Union minister seems unfounded. In my hunt for the fact, I found conclusive evidence which established that it was not completely funded by the central government alone. The documents provided by the national media coordinator AAP Vikash Jogi, on Twitter on ITO Skywalk project on 16th October, it has been established firmly that it was jointly funded. The Delhi government funded 13 crores of the total 54 crores in the project.

The National media coordinator AAP Vikash Jogi, shared these two images on his twitter handle. These show the detailed amount sanctioned to Executive Engineer in the month of April 2018, and September 2018 wherein the Delhi government has sanctioned 800 lakhs and 500 lakhs respectively. These two photographs are the conclusive evidence which establishes the fact that the project was not completely funded by Central government alone.

The Central government, however, has so far not shared any such documents on any of its platforms to make the expenditure involved in the skywalk project open to the public, to let the public decide.

Execution

It was the Delhi government and not centre which monitored the progress of the ITO construction. The work was completed by PWD Delhi which is under Delhi government minister Satyendra Jain. In the research I found out that the project was monitored by the Delhi government, the Delhi minister visited the ITO skywalk site on 25th August for an inspection. Vice-chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain in the report published by The Hindu on 25th August could be seen inspecting the skywalk.

A video is also available on TOI showing Manish Sisodia along with Satyendra Jain visiting the ITO skywalk site on 25th of August. Besides these several tweets by the vice-chief minister Manish Sisodia also substantiate the happenings of 25th August.

I, in my research, did not come across any report showing the visit of Union minister or any of his official visiting the ITO skywalk construction site. Hence based on my research and analysis done I must say that the Delhi Government and not Central Government should get the credit for the construction of ITO skywalk.