Some Phase IV routes of metro unviable: Manish Sisodia

NEW DELHI: More than a year after it gave in-principle approval to the Phase IV project of Delhi Metro, the AAP government on Tuesday said that some corridors of the project are unviable and it is studying the issue. A delay in the final approval from the Delhi government for the project has resulted in the Phase IV getting delayed.
On being asked about the inordinate delay in giving a final approval to the expansion at a press conference, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that some routes in the Phase IV proposal are not viable at all. “If it is (Phase IV project) is implemented as it is, metro fares will become very high and metro wouldn’t remain viable for people,” Sisodia said.

Sisodia, however, didn’t elaborate on which of the six corridors of the 104-km project were found unviable by the Delhi government. It is also unclear why the Delhi government didn’t raise this issue earlier even though its final nod for the project has been pending for more than a year.

The deputy CM said that some of the unviable routes are not practical and to make these practical, the Delhi government is studying the project at present. He said that if the proposed corridors of Phase IV are implemented, it will further squeeze the budget of commuters, who have already faced a fare hike in 2017. “We want a metro in which it is possible for people to travel,” he said. Sisodia, however, didn’t explain in what way would the propose corridors lead to commuters paying a higher fare.

On Monday, Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri had said that the centre would go ahead with the construction of metro’s Phase IV project even if the Delhi government doesn’t give its approval.

“We are finding a solution. The solution is that where we are not getting support from the Delhi government over the Metro projects, we have decided to do it ourselves,” Puri had said.

The Phase IV, which will cost Rs 55,208 crore, was approved in principle by the Delhi government in January 2017, but a final approval and financial commitment is awaited. Both Delhi government and the centre have an equal stake in Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and follow a 50:50 equity sharing model.