Hardeep Puri terms report on falling metro ridership "falsification of facts"

Terming a report claiming fall in Delhi metro ridership "falsification of facts", Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday contended that the DMRC's passenger flow has gone up.

He said if there is a possibility that metro ridership is not realising its "potential", it is because Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is not giving approval for Metro's phase-IV project.

The Centre of Science and Environment (CSE) had Tuesday said the Delhi Metro has received nearly 32 per cent less than the number of daily passengers it had hoped to serve this year.

The research and advocacy group had attributed fare hike as the reason behind the sudden drop in ridership, approximately by 4.2 lakh passengers in 2018 as compared to the previous year.

"I have a story going on today that metro ridership has fallen, which is complete falsification of facts. Metro ridership has gone up to two lakh and it is going up. If there is a possibility that metro ridership is not realising its potential, it is because Arvind Kejriwal is not giving me approval for Metro phase-IV etc," Puri said.

Attending an event after inaugurating eight online services of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the Union housing and urban affairs minister reiterated that if the Delhi government does not come on board for Metro's phase-IV project, his ministry will find the way.

In May this year, Puri had said the Centre would take a decision on the execution of the metro's much-awaited phase-IV project if something was "lacking" on the Delhi government's side.

In February 2016, the AAP government had given its in-principal approval for the construction work of the phase IV project, but the Delhi Cabinet is yet to take final decision on it.

At today's event, Puri launched the Facebook page and Twitter handle of the CPWD and asked senior officers to hold area officials responsible to deal with complaints.

CPWD must increasingly look at excellence in its projects along with private players, he said and advised it to build an effective grievance redressal mechanism through feedback from its social media platforms.