The Aam Aadmi Party government on Saturday claimed that “no provision” had been made for the Phase-IV of the Delhi Metro project in the Interim Budget.
The party accused the BJP-led Centre of meting out “stepmotherly treatment” to the Capital in the tabling of Budget.
“They have meted out stepmotherly treatment to Delhi in giving financial assistance and in relation to Phase IV,” alleged Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
The Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said AAP MPs would raise the issue in both Houses of Parliament.
“A lot of noise was earlier made by the Ministry [Housing and Urban Affairs] about the Delhi Metro Phase-IV project but when we saw the Budget, it was a surprise for us. Work related to Phase-IV, which needs funds, has been neglected,” Mr. Sisodia alleged. The Delhi Metro has been given a grant of ₹414.70 crore in the Budget.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation sources stated that the grant has been given for work on Nodia and Ghaziabad sections of the network.
Estimated cost
“The Delhi Metro Phase-IV needed budgetary provision but the Centre has forgotten to do it... Earlier they had even said that if the Centre would it if the Delhi government did not. What happened to all these claims,” Mr. Sisodia demanded. In December, the Centre had claimed that AAP government had “stonewalled” the progress of the project leading to “substantial delay” and inconvenience to commuters in relation to lack of agreement over the 50-50% sharing of operational loss on the proposed network.
‘Financial feasibilities’
“Phase-IV is important and while going through its files, we had found shortcomings in technical and financial feasibilities. An extra ₹10,000 crore was being projected as in its estimated cost,” Mr. Sisodia argued, claiming that “₹10,000 crore was reduced” in the overall estimated cost of the project after a Delhi government study.
The lines under Phase-IV of the Delhi Metro project are Rithala-Narela (21.73 km), Janakpuri West-R K Ashram (28.92 km), Mukundpur-Maujpur (12.54 km), Inderlok-Indraprastha (12.58 km), Tughlakabad-Aerocity (20.20 km) and Lajpat Nagar-Saket G-Block (7.96 km).