Chinese firm Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Company Limited has bagged a contract to develop underground tunnel stretch, from New Ashok Nagar to Sahibabad, of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) project. The contract was awarded by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). Following this development, #BoycottChina trended on Twitter.
“Approvals have to be taken at various levels for bids that are funded by multilateral agencies. This bid was also awarded following the set procedure and guidelines. Now, all the civil work tenders of the 82-km-long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor have been awarded and the construction is going on in full swing to commission the project in time,” an NCRTC spokesperson said.
Netizens on the microblogging platform questioned the government’s move and termed it as an insult to the soldiers who were martyred in the Galwan Valley clash.
“This is extremely bad example to the national sentiments of anti china movement. Govt gives rail contract to Chinese co. This is not acceptable Angry face Delhi-Meerut #BoycottChina,” a user Tweeted.
#BoycottChina
This is extremely bad example to the national sentiments of anti china movement. Govt gives rail contract to Chinese co. This is not acceptable 😠😠
Delhi-Meerut #BoycottChina pic.twitter.com/3aAwgVCIAd— kangana (@kangana_im) January 4, 2021
Another said, “This is wrong…….at one hand govt is asking us to boycott Chinese goods and on other hand giving them contracts for rail project ..not accepted #BoycottChina.”
This is wrong…….at one hand govt is asking us to boycott Chinese goods and on other hand giving them contracts for rail project ..not accepted #BoycottChina
— Sheena (@Sheena1857) January 4, 2021
Here’s How Twitterati Reacted:
One step closer to #AatmaNirbharBharat #BoycottChina https://t.co/oBC9eq15EF
— Abid A. (@Abid576) January 4, 2021
Delhi merath RRTS project awarded to chinese firm. Is it justified after Galwan valley incidence? #BoycottChina
— Himank Jain (@Himankcr7) January 4, 2021
Ban Chinese Apps and Make Indians #BoycottChina and then Gives China Delhi-Meerut Railway project. Modi ji be like: pic.twitter.com/qFBKVDaIVy
— Vicky (@Stephan53457462) January 4, 2021
The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor is the first RRTS corridor in the country that will reduce the time to commute from Delhi to Meerut to less than an hour. The 17-km corridor of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS from Sahibabad to Duhai will be functional in 2023. The entire corridor will be operational in 2025.