A Group of Ministers headed by Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, in the meeting last month, approved the Greater Noida Expressway route for Cycling (Time and Trial Event) after they were told that the UP Government had conveyed `no objection' for holding the event on this road stretch, sources in the Union Urban Development Ministry said. The Cycling (Road Mass Start) event will however, be held in Delhi and the route will start and terminate at Vijay chowk.

The Union Ministers, officials and Lt Governor of Delhi present at the meeting also approved the routes for Marathon and 20-kilometre walk events. The marathon route starting from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will be in the form of an elongated loop through Mathura Road and Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg before turning southwards at Minto Road to reach Connaught Place Outer Circle and moving back to the stadium through Janpath, India Gate and Zakir Hussain Marg. Infrastructure projects The main infrastructure project to be approved by the Group of Ministers is the controversial elevated road over Barapulah Nullah in close vicinity to two protected heritage structures. The project was approved by the GOM despite earlier reservations expressed by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The School of Planning and Architecture initially approached by Public Works Department had also expressed reservation about the elevated road brushing past protected monuments and affecting their view.

The `jalebi' shaped Badarpur flyover being constructed by National Highway Authority of In dia for smoother passage between Delhi and Faridabad, completion of the Munak Canal for improved water supply to South West and South Delhi and signing of MOU between UP and Delhi Government for optimum output from Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant also figured among the infrastructure projects. The top level meet also approved expediting the widening of the UP link road and new hotels in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.