The AAP government and the Centre are at the loggerheads over Delhi Metro Phase-IV with the former saying it "assumed" that the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry would fund the project as asserted by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri earlier.
The AAP government and the Centre are at the loggerheads over Delhi Metro Phase-IV with the former saying it "assumed" that the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry would fund the project as asserted by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri earlier.
On several occasions, Puri has asserted that if there is no decision from the Delhi government on Metro Phase-IV, his ministry will take a final call.
"Hardeep Singh Puri ji had said that he would provide funds himself (for Metro Phase-IV), we thought they would be doing so," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters. He was asked about Centre's allegation about no nod from the Delhi government for Metro Phase-IV in the last three-four years.
Earlier in the day, Puri while addressing a gathering at an event said the Delhi government has not provided its financial nod to the Metro Phase-IV in the last three-four years.
However, the Union minister assured that the Centre will not let the citizens of Delhi suffer due to non-clearance from the AAP government. He expressed hope that the AAP dispensation will clear Phase-IV project in the next few weeks.
"It will be huge atrocities against Delhiites if the work of Metro Phase-IV does not begin from January 1... But, I want to assure that as we cleared other projects (of Delhi), we will not let the people of Delhi down. The work of Phase-IV will commence on time. We will find some solution," Puri said.
On Monday, the Union minister alleged that several projects including Metro Phase-IV are stuck due to non-clearance from Delhi government.
Infrastructure projects have become a bone of contention between the AAP dispensation and the BJP-led central government these days. It started with inauguration of newly-constructed ITO Skywalk.
It comes at a time when both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party are gearing up for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. There are seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. In the previous polls, BJP had won all seats.
Last week, Delhi PWD Satyendar Jain alleged that no AAP minister was invited to the inaugural ceremony of the Skywalk while Puri claimed that it was his ministry that provided funds to the project.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari slammed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said if his government does not approve the Metro Phase-IV soon, the construction equipment and machinary will be moved and Delhi will go 20 years back.
"If so happens, it will not only increase the cost of project, but also delay the Metro Phase-IV by several years and Delhi will go at least 20 years back," Tiwari said.
Under Phase-IV Metro project, a total of 31.47 kilometres of new lines will be underground while 64.39 km tracks would be elevated.
Among the projects chosen under Phase-IV are Rithala-Narela (21.73km), Janakpuri West-R K Ashram (28.92km), Mukundpur-Maujpur (12.54km), Inderlok-Indraprastha (12.58km), Tughlakabad-Aerocity (20.20 km), and Lajpat Nagar-Saket G-Block (7.96 km).
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