The year started with promises and high hopes. The Telegraph recounts a few of the most promising and much-delayed city projects, which remained just on paper

beauty by river

Scheme: Ganga riverfront development

Debut date: Project submitted to Union government for approval in January 2010

Agency: Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCo)

Work factor: Development of 6.6km-long and 15ft-wide walkway along 20 ghats

Project cost: Rs 262 crore

Status: Bidding stage on

Slo-mo reasons: Fulfilling World Bank norms, including social, environmental and technical assessments

Fast forward: Firm for carrying out construction likely to be selected by January-end and project execution expected to commence from March

neat environs

Scheme: Solid waste management project [Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)]

Debut date: Ministry of urban development approved it on March 28, 2007

Agency: Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC)

Work factor: Door-to-door collection of garbage, putting public bins and supply of municipal equipment, including tippers and compactors

Project cost: Rs 36.95 crore

Status: Bidding stage going on at present

Slo-mo reasons: Delay in approval at various levels by empowered standing committee and PMC board. The board finally gave its approval on September 21

Fast forward: Firm(s) for undertaking door-to-door collection of garbage and supply of related equipment likely to be selected by January-end

water, always

Scheme: 24-hour water supply project (JNNURM)

Debut date: February 21, 2009

Agency: BUIDCo

Work factor: Development of 72 overhead water tanks, laying pipeline network measuring 815km and one water treatment plant for purifying Ganga water

Project cost: Rs 548.83 crore

Status: Land has been made available only for 26 of total 72 overhead tanks. Foundation stone for water treatment plant was laid on December 11

Slo-mo reasons: Delay in transfer of land at the sites proposed for erecting overhead tanks by various agencies, including PMC, district administration, education department, among others

Fast forward: PMC and other agencies to make available land for the overhead tanks at the earliest

bus blessings

Scheme: Low-floor buses (JNNURM)

Debut date: The central sanctioning and monitoring committee of JNNURM in its 69th meeting on February 20 and 21, 2009, had approved it

Agency: Urban development and housing department

Work factor: Supply of 260 low-floor buses to be operated in urban areas in Patna and 40 in Bodhgaya

Project cost: Rs 45 crore

Status: Order for supply of buses made to Tata Motors in December

Slo-mo reasons: Initial lack of clarity on mode of execution of the project — state funded or public-private partnership. When the government first tried to execute the project in PPP mode, no private firms showed interest in it. When the government tried to execute the project in state-funded mode, the ministry of urban development laid criteria for formation of special purpose vehicle for operation of the buses, which took another couple of months.

Fast forward: Tata Motors is expected to deliver 75 buses for Patna by January-end

dream home

Scheme: Development of 1,596 flats in Bahadurpur

Debut date: Bihar State Housing Board had given its approval to the project on November 28, 2011

Agency: Bihar State Housing Board

Work factor: Development of 1,596 residential flats at Bahadurpur with internal roads, streetlights, drainage network, parks, marriage hall, landscaping

Project cost: Rs 561 crore

Status: Bidding process going on at present

Slo-mo reasons: Initial delay in approval of the project by the cabinet before finally getting approved on May 7

Fast forward: The contract is likely to be awarded to the selected firm in January and the construction is expected to start by April

makeover factor

Scheme: Redevelopment of Maurya Lok

Debut date: June 2012

Agency: PMC

Work factor: Renovation plan prepared by architect Hafeez Contractor leaves the existing five blocks in their original shape and envisages resurfacing of the damaged walls and interiors

Project cost: Rs 50.17 crore

Status: The project proposed to be executed in PPP mode is awaiting no-objection certificate from PMC from June 2012

Slo-mo reasons: Lack of interest and willingness of PMC

Fast forward: PMC’s empowered standing committee and board to give their nod to the preliminary project report of the project