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Delhi

CM says metro should resume on trial basis; DMRC says it's ready

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that metro services in the Capital should be reopened on a trial basis and long-term plans should be devised to resume Delhi Metro in a phased manner as authorities should view Delhi "somewhat separately from the whole country". The CM's remarks about reopening the metro here came while he was addressing a meeting with traders and industrialists to review how to discuss measures to boost the city's

economy.

The discussion was held through a Digital Samvaad, which is a series of events held by the CM to interact with industrialists and traders to understand the challenges faced by them.

Meanwhile, after the chief minister's announcement, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said that it can be prepared to commence operations whenever directed by the government and that all necessary guidelines had been put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19 among commuters.

Millennium Post had on August 3 first reported that the Delhi Metro was prepared to resume services with just a two-days' notice and that they had already prepared all necessary precautionary measures in light of the pandemic.

Significantly, CM Kejriwal also suggested an online portal where Delhi's wholesale market and industries can put up their products and reach out to customers across the world.

"Through this portal, Delhi's wholesale market and industries can put their products in front of the whole world and they can receive orders from the whole world. We can call it Delhi Bazaar where the people can market their products," he said.

When one of the traders requested that metro services should resume in the Capital as it hampered the movement of staff and consumers, the CM said, "We have requested the Centre to consider Delhi somewhat separately from the whole country. The corona situation in Delhi is improving. If they do not want to open the metro in other states, they can do that. But the metro should be allowed in Delhi on a trial basis and in a phased manner."

Another trader at the meeting asked the Delhi government to look into troubles they were having with getting loans from banks under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Yojana.

The Chief Minister said that it is important to save people from the pandemic but it is important to get "Delhi's economy back on track, which has dismantled because of no jobs, no businesses, and no trade due to Corona lockdown."

He added that in the coming days, there are going to be major announcements in the industry sector. "Probably, Delhi is the only city where lockdown hasn't been imposed again, as we understand work, and COVID management can go hand-in-hand," he added.

The CM said that market associations have asked that their markets should be redeveloped like Chandani Chowk. "I assure you that this was a pilot project for us. We will definitely implement this redevelopment plan on other markets and roads in Delhi," he said.

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