The over 11-km Mundka-Bahadurgarh section of Delhi Metro’s Green Line, connecting the capital to Haryana, was on Sunday inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Expansion of the Metro network in the country with the active participation of the Centre and the States was an example of “co-operative federalism,” said the Prime Minister.
Third extension
Built at a cost of ₹2,028 crore, the elevated corridor, with seven stations, is the third Metro extension between Delhi and Haryana, besides Gurugram and Faridabad.
Addressing the gathering through videoconferencing, the Prime Minister said the expanding Metro network in India would soon be the world’s fifth largest network after that in Beijing, London, Shanghai and New York. He said the Metro network had taken six lakh vehicles off the roads, saved time and money and reduced pollution. He added that Metro services were coming up in 12 cities in India and modern plants were being set up to build coaches indigenously.
‘Gateway of growth’
Mr. Modi said Bahadurgarh was known as the “Gateway of Haryana” and would now be the “Gateway of Development” with the advent of the Metro. “The rapidly growing industry in the area was waiting for the Metro connectivity,” said Mr. Modi, adding that it would create new employment opportunities and benefit students.
The Prime Minister said that his government had come out with a new policy relating to Metros last year to bring uniformity and standardise metro rail networks across the country.
Mr. Modi said his government was committed to a new and smart infrastructure and maximum investment was made in airways, waterways, highways and i-ways (information ways) during his rule.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said he had received several proposals for renaming the three Metro stations, falling in the territory of Haryana on the new section and all these would be sent to the office of the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri.
He said the committee of Delhi Metro constituted for the purpose would take a final decision.
Mr. Khattar along with Mr. Puri also took a ride on the newly opened metro section. Speaking to the media at the Modern Industrial Estate metro station, he said that two projects for connecting Delhi to Rohtak and Palwal through RRTS were also in the pipeline.