Khattar seeks review of past agreements with DMRC

Directs HMRTC to explore possibility for increasing metro connectivity in Gurgaon on its own

New decision:Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also gave approval for extension of the Delhi Metro from Dwarka Sector 21 to IFFCO Chowk in Gurgaon.— File Photo

In a move that could further delay metro connectivity between Gurgaon and Dwarka, the Haryana government has directed the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) to review agreements made in the past with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and explore possibilities for increasing metro connectivity in Gurgaon on its own.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting to review the expansion of metro rail, held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh on Monday.

Amendments

He also gave approval for extension of the Delhi Metro from Dwarka Sector 21 to IFFCO Chowk in Gurgaon. However, there was no clarity on the alignment and the date of completion of the project.

It was also decided amendments to agreements made earlier with the Delhi government regarding revenue collection in case the 3.4-km stretch falling in Delhi under the12.631-km expansion of the Delhi Metro from Dwarka Sector 21 to IFFCO Chowk in Gurgaon gets completed by Haryana on its own. The Chief Minister suggested that the HMRTC could prepare its own network to improve metro connectivity in Gurgaon. To this end, he asked Chief Secretary D.S. Dhesi to arrange a meeting with Union Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu.

A senior official present at the meeting said though Haryana government was supposed to bear 80 per cent of expenses for construction of the metro from Dwarka to Gurgaon as per the agreement, it had only 50 per cent share in the revenue collected. In view of the skewed funding and revenue sharing methodology, the Chief Minister has directed the HMRTC to explore options to construct the Haryana portion of the metro network on its own and invite bids for it.

The Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Rajesh Khullar; Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Sanjeev Kaushal; Principal Secretary, Industries, Devender Singh; Principal Secretary, Urban Local Bodies, Anil Kumar, and other senior officers and representatives of the Delhi Metro were also present at the meeting.