The controversy surrounding Delhi Metro’s Phase-IV refuses to die down. There is fresh tussle brewing between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and opposition parties after the Delhi government imposed conditions while approving phase-IV of the metro network.

The two conditions imposed by the AAP government are—operational losses will be equally shared by the Centre and the state, and that the Delhi government will not bear any liability of external loan if the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) fails to pay back.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress have accused AAP for imposing conditions that will further delay the project, the ruling party alleged the Centre was planning to stop work.

Raising the matter in the Delhi assembly on Thursday, Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot said the BJP-led central government was “deliberately” delaying Metro construction in the city.

“In a conspiracy, the Centre is planning to stop work (on Metro phase-IV). We have heard that a hurdle will be created and the Delhi government will bear the entire operating loss,” Gahlot said.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said while Delhi was battling with high pollution levels and traffic snarls, the AAP and BJP were busy settling scores instead of clearing the much-needed Metro expansion. “The Delhi government should concentrate on helping people by starting Metro construction for the next phase,” he said.

The BJP said the AAP government first sat on the project for so long and now it imposed conditions that would further delay the project.

The BJP said chief minister Arvind Kejriwal approved the project only to take credit for it.

North West Delhi Member of Parliament (MP) Udit Raj said, “The conditions imposed by the Delhi government will only delay the project. This is an attempt to get cheap publicity, as they can claim that they approved the project. They will blame the central government for the delay whereas they are delaying the project.”

Criticising the Centre, Gahlot said Delhi Metro should be handed over to the Delhi government, which would run it efficiently.

Phase-IV was approved by the Delhi government on December 21 after hanging fire for almost two years. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is using it to attack the ruling party in Delhi by accusing it of stalling all development projects in the city.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said, “First they took more than two years in approving the proposal and now they want to pin the blame on the Centre. It seems like Kejriwal is taking revenge on the people of Delhi for his defeat in the municipal elections,” Tiwari said.

First Published: Jan 04, 2019 15:05 IST