The Delhi government has scrapped the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s streetscaping project, which aimed to transform arterial roads into European-style public spaces. Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma stated that the initiative, costing Rs 10 million per kilometre, was too expensive and impractical given the current state of road infrastructure.
The project had begun in 2021 with 16 pilot stretches covering 40 kilometres. It included shaded seating, decorative lighting, street furniture, and improved walking and cycling paths. In 2020, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced plans to redesign 540 kilometres of roads, with an eventual goal of covering 1,400 kilometres.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government now plans to prioritise long-term road repairs, drainage upgrades, signage installation and decongestion measures. Verma emphasised that Delhi’s roads need structural improvements, not just visual enhancements.
Several completed stretches under the AAP scheme include Ring Road, Vikas Marg, Britannia Chowk to Pitampura, and parts of Aurobindo and Nelson Mandela Roads.
This decision follows a trend of rebranding or revising AAP’s initiatives, such as converting the Mohalla Bus scheme into the DEVI Bus service and Mohalla Clinics into Aarogya Mandirs.
Source:Hindustan Times
