New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS): Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L.G) V K Saxena has approved the recommendation for the translocation of 96 and 107 trees for the Northern Railways and Central Secretariat Projects at Arakpur, Moti Bagh and Ashoka Road respectively in the National Capital.

“Thanks to consistent nudge by the LG to speedily clear developmental projects in the Capital for the benefit of residents of the city, the Delhi Government - Environment Minister and Chief Minister, have started clearing projects expeditiously. Projects that suffered from delays by three to five years have started getting cleared by the Delhi Government in a matter of months now. After the Defence and Railway Projects being cleared in July, the CM has again recommended the clearance of a Railway Housing and Central Secretariat Projects within months now,” the LG office said.

It said that apart from the trees being transplanted, 960 and 1070 saplings of various plants are also being planted at the cost of the user agencies at Rampura, Shakur Basti and Madipur and NTPC Eco Park respectively. This compensatory plantation includes trees like Neem, Amaltas, Peepal, Pilkhan, Gular, Bargad and Arjun.

L-G had expressed concern over such delays in projects of National importance that aimed at providing relief to common people of the Capital. He had also underlined the cost overruns running into hundreds of crores that such delays caused.

“To this effect, the LG had written twice to the Chief Minister last year, apart from expressing his displeasure and flagging the inordinate and unexplained delays, on files submitted to him for approval, after years of requests by concerned agencies being made. The LG had raised the issue of files lying without any reason in the office of the Minister of Environment for months together,” the LG office said.