The Hindu : New Delhi News : New Metro section waits for VIPs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 16, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

New Metro section waits for VIPs

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

The colossal project is complete full three months ahead of its scheduled opening in September According to senior Delhi Metro officials, it is for the Delhi Government to decide the chief guest and the DMRC would only follow its instructions

NEW DELHI: Though it is now ready for operations, the opening of the much-awaited Kashmere Gate-Central Secretariat section of the Delhi Metro underground corridor is held up because the authorities are unable to finalise the VIPs for the inaugural ceremony.

All this after the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation worked so hard to complete the colossal project a full three months ahead of its scheduled opening in September 2005.

To be sure, the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety, G. P. Garg, took just two days to inspect the line on June 6 and 7 before giving it the all-important go-ahead to carry passengers from the very next day, and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit then took a ride on this section of the Metro right from Central Secretariat to Kashmere Gate and back during an inspection round.

According to senior Delhi Metro officials, it is for the Delhi Government to decide the chief guest and the DMRC would only follow its instructions.

The DMRC officials had been hoping that Delhiites would be able to enjoy the service from "the third week of June'', but they now say that the inauguration is not possible before the month-end as the invitations and the venue of the function are finalised only after the list of dignitaries is drawn up.

The Delhi Transport Minister, Haroon Yusuf, also admits that now the inauguration of the 7 km line that passes through Kashmere Gate, Old Delhi railway station, Chawri Bazar, New Delhi railway station, Connaught Place, Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat is likely to take place only in the last week of June or the first week of July.

With both the Union Urban Development Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who takes the final decision on the opening, and the Congress president and UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, being abroad, there is no getting away from the fact that the new Metro section will have to wait just a bit longer for the green signal.

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