NEW DELHI: Gurgaon wants to ride the Delhi Metro but Delhi does not want to pay for its nine kilometre ticket from Qutab Minar to the border at Arjun Garh and this is what is holding the gleaming silver trains from reaching one of the Capital's most posh satellite townships. Though the Haryana Government has given its formal approval to the Rs.688 crore line from the border to the City Centre in Sector 29, it will still take a while as a number of ticklish issues pertaining to who pays for what are coming in the way.

Sparsely populated

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said on Sunday that the Delhi Government has a view that the 9 km section from Qutab Minar to Arjun Garh is economically non-viable as it is sparsely populated. "The Delhi Transport Department has stated that it would not be viable to run Metro services on this section,'' she said, adding that the empowered Group of Ministers headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee would take a final view on the issue.

"Various issues like project cost, ridership levels, economic viability and payment details would be discussed therein.'' Ms Dikshit said since the Gurgaon corridor is an extension of the Line II from Delhi University to Central Secretariat which is being taken up to Qutab Minar in Phase II of the Delhi Metro project, a final decision on the matter would also have to wait till the time DMRC finalises the new alignment for taking the Metro from Green Park up to Qutab Minar as the earlier route suggested by it had been opposed by conservationists since it was passing too close to the historic monument. As for Haryana sending its formal approval to the Union Urban Development Ministry for taking the Metro 6.5 km inside Gurgaon, Ms Dikshit said it is good development that Haryana has at last forwarded a formal proposal to the effect. She said with DMRC also expected to finalise the new alignment from Green Park to IIT to Malviya Nagar and Saket, the proposal is expected to move ahead.

Incidentally, this line with a slight detour of around 500 metres is now scheduled to pass through Green Park, Hauz Khas Market, Laxman Public School, Sarvpriya Vihar, Shivalik, Press Enclave, Saket and Garden of Five Senses. It would then reach Andheria Mor beyond which -- if and when Delhi Government approves -- it would travel to Ambedkar Colony, Chhatarpur, Sultanpur, Ghittorni, Sarvodaya School before reaching Arjun Garh. As per DMRC the new alignment is expected to cost Rs.450 crores more. Earlier this week, Haryana had given the nod to the Metro project and agreed to fund 80 per cent of the cost. Of the Rs.688 crore cost, it was pointed out that the Haryana Government would shoulder Rs.456 crores with the Centre paying another Rs.114 crores.

The alignment had been suggested by DMRC and under it there will be stations at Garden Estate, Sikandarpur, DT City Centre, IFFCO Chowk and Sushant Lok Phase I.Director Planning and Project of DMRC C.B.K. Rao said the funding pattern would be the same as had been followed in the case of payment by DDA for the extension into Dwarka Sub-City and by Uttar Pradesh for taking the Metro up to Noida.

Free land

Under the scheme the cost of the rolling stock - amounting to Rs 118 crore in case of Gurgaon - would be borne by DMRC while the State Government would also be required to provide free land for construction of the project. Stating that if all the approvals come through in the next month or so then this extension to Gurgaon can also be completed ahead of the Commonwealth Games 2010 and in Phase II of the Metro Project itself, Mr Rao said all this would however depend on the finalization of plans for the Qutub Minar to Arjan Garh section.

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