Monday, Dec 23, 2002
Monday, Dec 23, 2002 |
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New Delhi
By Our Staff Reporter
For Mr. Khurana the position does not matter but the ultimate aim does. His installation as the new DMRC Chairman is being seen as an attempt by the BJP-led Central Government to politicise the working of a perfectly professional organisation. In fact, what is being feared most is that although the pace of work on the first phase of the project will continue in the same manner, the political interference could throw up a lot of problems on issues like acquisition of land, compensation and identifying new corridors. Mr. Khurana's opponents within and outside the party feel that the appointment could have been avoided and Mr. Khurana, who has held many high posts, should not have gone for such an office which is below the dignity and prestige of the offices already held by him. It is felt that with Mr. Khurana at the helm of affairs and his knack for populist agenda, things could become a little difficult for DMRC officials in the coming days. The problem could become more acute as the recently cleared 23.1 km Dwarka-Connaught Place corridor passes through the Parliamentary constituency of Mr. Khurana and could fall prey to political pressures and arm twisting. The DMRC which has not had any problem in acquiring land for its corridors could find itself placed in a difficult situation as far as Mr. Khurana's and other areas are concerned. Officials feel that they could feel the heat as a number of places falling along the new corridor would be required to be taken over and with a political person at the helm of affairs, it would lead to numerous problems even delays. Detractors within the party and outside are of the view that it was a fully technical job and placing Mr. Khurana on the head of the efficient DMRC Managing Director, E. Sreedharan, could create coordination problems within the ranks. In fact, the Central Government could well have done without the political interference in a project which has been applauded by all sections for its efficiency and clinical execution without causing any harassment to the general public. "The danger is that Mr. Khurana might use the Metro Rail platform to carry forward his political agenda. This could lead to complications and might harm the future prospects of the project,'' a senior official remarked. However, the supporters of Mr. Khurana feel that there was nothing wrong in his appointment and everything was being done in an orderly manner. They said the Dwarka-Connaught Place corridor had been hanging fire for the past five months. It was only after Mr. Khurana took the initiative that the project was given a final nod by the Group of Ministers (GoM) last week. It is in such situation that Mr. Khurana would prove useful for DMRC. He has access to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister and other Central Government Ministers. He could get projects as well as the crucial financial aspects cleared and pushed through at a faster pace than the Delhi Government or DMRC top shots. This will help in assuring all financial as well as moral support for the Metro Rail project and that is why his appointment should be seen in a proper prospective, his supporters argue.
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