DMRC starts preparatory work for Delhi Metro Phase IV project

New Delhi (Urban Transport News): After getting direction from the Supreme Court of India, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has started preparatory work for Delhi Metro Phase IV project, the central government said on July 17. In a written reply to a question raised by senior BJP leader Vijay Goel in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said that Delhi Metro Phase IV project is scheduled to be completed in five years from the date of start of work. One day after Apex Court's decision on the Phase IV of Delhi Metro Project, the Delhi Government now agreed to give its consent to start preparatory work for Delhi Metro Phase IV project. In his written reply, Union Housing & Urban Affairs said,

The DMRC has informed that it has started preparatory work. The project is scheduled to be completed in five years from the date of start of work.

With hope to getting approval on remaining three corridors from the Centre, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had sought the Central Government's cooperation in completing the Phase-IV of the Delhi Metro project. The Centre has not yet cleared the remaining three corridors of the project. In March, the Union Cabinet had approved three of the six corridors proposed by the Delhi Government, sidelining the conditions imposed by the Chief Minister Kejriwal. But the work on the project could not begin due to the differences between the Centre and the Delhi government. The three corridors of the Phase IV of Delhi Metro Rail project approved by the Union Cabinet are Mukundpur-Maujpur (12.54 km), Janakpuri West-R K Ashram (28.92 km) and Tughlakabad-Aerocity (20.20 km).

However, remaining three corridors which have not been approved by the Centre are Rithala-Bawana-Narela, Inderlok-Indraprastha and Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block. The matter was put up before the Supreme Court of India and sought Apex Court's intervention on the ambitious project which was getting delay due to political war between the AAP-led Delhi Government and the BJP-led Central Government. Centre has denied the Delhi Government's condition on fund sharing. Delhi Government had objected to the Centre's decision, alleging that the Government made some "unilateral changes" in the project, without communicating any reasons to them.