Delhi govt for simultaneous work on all 6 Metro Phase-IV corridors, says Gahlot

The AAP government has asked for starting work simultaneously on all six corridors of Delhi Metro's Phase-IV project, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said on Friday.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court ordered implementation of the 103.94-km Phase-IV and directed the authorities to commence construction work.

Six corridors of the project were approved by Delhi government in December 2018. However, the Centre in March 2019 dropped three, while allowed the rest.

The apex court directed implementation of the Phase-IV project while hearing a matter in which the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) had recently filed a report stating that the approval for the project was held up since 2014.

The court was informed by the Delhi government counsel that they have agreed to give a go ahead to the project.

"It was said by us in the court that we have no objection to starting work on the project but work should also start simultaneously on remaining three corridors which have been left by the Centre in its approval to the project," Gahlot said in a press conference.

The Centre had approved the Mukundpur-Maujpur, R K Ashram-Janakpuri West and Aero City-Tughlakabad corridors.

The three other proposed corridors -- Rithala-Bawana-Narela, Inderlok-Indraprastha and Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block -- approved by the Delhi government were dropped by the Centre while giving the Phase-IV its go ahead.

"The Centre has not clarified the rationale behind picking up three corridors under the project and leaving other three," Gahlot said.

He also accused the EPCA of filing a "one sided" report in the Court.

"EPCA filed a one-sided report. The three corridors left by the Centre finds no mention in the EPCA report," he claimed.

In April 2019, the Delhi government had issued direction to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC) for not starting work on Phase IV, owing to financial and corridor-related issues.

The Delhi government had imposed conditions related to loss sharing and loan liability, along with its approval to the project.

The Centre had told the court that project financing has been done in consonance with the Metro Rail Policy of August 2017 and metro projects of other cities like Bhopal, Indore, Kanpur, Patna and Agra have been sanctioned on the same financial pattern as the phase-IV here.