We were not told about faults in Metro: govt
18 July 2012 12:54 AM GMT
The battle over Delhi Airport Express Metro line got murkier on Tuesday when Delhi government claimed that they did not have any information regarding the faults at the line.
Chief secretary P K Tripathi said the government got the information that the line had defects and needed to be shut down only 15 days ago.
Sources said neither the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation [DMRC] nor Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Infrastructure, which operates the line, gave any information to the government regarding the grave matter.
DMRC is a joint venture of Delhi government and Urban Development Ministry. The airport line is a 23-km service between New Delhi Railway Station and the Indira Gandhi International Airport, and further to Dwarka’s Sector 21. It was a Rs 5,700-crore project that was the country’s first such public-private model.
Already, the Express line closure has triggered a war of words between DMRC and Reliance Infrastructure.
The blame game became ugly when Reliance Infrastructure accused the DMRC of putting the life of commuters at risk.
Sumit Banerjee, head, infrastructure, Reliance Infrastructure had said that these defects existed from Day One.
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Sources said it is a clear sign of lack of communication among all three bodies.
Earlier, chief minister Sheila Dikshit had formed an independent committee to examine the issue. The committee comprises AK Gupta, additional member [works] in Railway Board and D Deeptivilas, additional secretary, Urban Development Ministry.
The committee would soon submit its report to the urban development ministry based on which appropriate action would be taken.
As per the pact, DMRC was to carry out the civil works of the project and Reliance Infrastructure was to operate the line for 30 years and share revenues.
The line was ferrying some 15,000 people daily, covering the distance in 21 minutes.
RELICS AT METRO SITE: MEETING TO REVIEW SITUATION
Authorities on Tuesday reviewed the law and order situation in a central Delhi locality, where remains of an ancient mosque is said to be discovered during ongoing construction for Delhi Metro.
The issue was discussed during meeting convened by Delhi Chief Secretary P K Tripathi and attended by Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar besides officials of ASI and other agencies concerned.
A number of Muslim community members led by Matia Mahal MLA Shoaib Iqbal had carried out digging at the site located near Jama Masjid.
During construction for the Metro network, the remains of an ancient structure claimed as the historical Akbarabadi Masjid were found earlier this month.
Officials said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had also taken up the issue with the Police Commissioner yesterday and had told him to ensure that adequate security was in place there.
Chief secretary P K Tripathi said the government got the information that the line had defects and needed to be shut down only 15 days ago.
Sources said neither the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation [DMRC] nor Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Infrastructure, which operates the line, gave any information to the government regarding the grave matter.
DMRC is a joint venture of Delhi government and Urban Development Ministry. The airport line is a 23-km service between New Delhi Railway Station and the Indira Gandhi International Airport, and further to Dwarka’s Sector 21. It was a Rs 5,700-crore project that was the country’s first such public-private model.
Already, the Express line closure has triggered a war of words between DMRC and Reliance Infrastructure.
The blame game became ugly when Reliance Infrastructure accused the DMRC of putting the life of commuters at risk.
Sumit Banerjee, head, infrastructure, Reliance Infrastructure had said that these defects existed from Day One.
Â
Sources said it is a clear sign of lack of communication among all three bodies.
Earlier, chief minister Sheila Dikshit had formed an independent committee to examine the issue. The committee comprises AK Gupta, additional member [works] in Railway Board and D Deeptivilas, additional secretary, Urban Development Ministry.
The committee would soon submit its report to the urban development ministry based on which appropriate action would be taken.
As per the pact, DMRC was to carry out the civil works of the project and Reliance Infrastructure was to operate the line for 30 years and share revenues.
The line was ferrying some 15,000 people daily, covering the distance in 21 minutes.
RELICS AT METRO SITE: MEETING TO REVIEW SITUATION
Authorities on Tuesday reviewed the law and order situation in a central Delhi locality, where remains of an ancient mosque is said to be discovered during ongoing construction for Delhi Metro.
The issue was discussed during meeting convened by Delhi Chief Secretary P K Tripathi and attended by Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar besides officials of ASI and other agencies concerned.
A number of Muslim community members led by Matia Mahal MLA Shoaib Iqbal had carried out digging at the site located near Jama Masjid.
During construction for the Metro network, the remains of an ancient structure claimed as the historical Akbarabadi Masjid were found earlier this month.
Officials said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had also taken up the issue with the Police Commissioner yesterday and had told him to ensure that adequate security was in place there.
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