Centre conspiring to stop Metro Phase IV work, says Delhi govt

The ruling AAP in Delhi Thursday alleged that the Centre was "conspiring" to obstruct Metro Phase IV project on the pretext of operating loss issue.

Raising the issue in the Delhi Assembly, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, "In a conspiracy, the Centre is planning to stop work (on Metro Phase IV). We have heard that a hurdle will be created and the Delhi government will bear the entire operating loss".

He said the central government should hand over the Delhi Metro to the city government and it will be run efficiently.

The Metro Phase IV project, delayed by about two years, was approved by the Kejriwal government on December 21.

The fresh tussle between the Centre and Delhi government appears to be brewing after the AAP dispensation imposed a condition of 50-50 per cent operational loss sharing while giving approval to the Phase-IV of Delhi Metro.

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry officials had said the condition that the Centre equally shared any operational loss with the AAP government was being examined, adding it was a state subject and that other states might raise similar demands.

Gahlot alleged that the officers of the Centre first delayed the Metro Phase IV and now a fresh conspiracy was being hatched by the BJP (at the Centre) to stop it.

"We want Metro Phase IV to be completed soon. But, the BJP wants to take revenge from people by stopping it," he said.

Among the projects chosen under the Phase IV are: Rithala-Bawana-Narela (21.73 km, elevated), Janakpuri West-RK Ashram (28.92 km, 21.18-km elevated ), Mukundpur-Maujpur (12.54 km, elevated), Inderlok-Indraprastha (12.58 km, underground), Aero City-Tughlakabad (20.2 km, 5.58-km elevated), Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block (7.96 km, 5.89-km elevated).

The project is estimated to cost around Rs 45,000 crore.