The Hindu : New Delhi News : Standoff between Delhi and UP on bus services may come to an end soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 18, 2007
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New Delhi

Standoff between Delhi and UP on bus services may come to an end soon

Staff Reporter

Mulayam Singh Government in UP had adopted a rigid and unreasonable stand: Delhi

NEW DELHI: There is now hope that the seven-month-long suspension of bus services between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh -- which has been affecting nearly 3.5 lakh commuters daily -- may end soon with senior transport officials of the two States inching closer to an agreement on the issue during their meeting here on Thursday.

Following the meeting, Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf said an end to the deadlock was in sight as the talks had been "very positive''.

He said while the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav Government in UP had adopted a rigid and unreasonable stand on the issue since it was not concerned about the problems being faced by the ordinary people, the new Mayawati Government has taken urgent steps to resolve the impasse.

Thankful to Mayawati

"I am thankful to Ms. Mayawati for issuing directions to her officials to sort out the matter expeditiously. She understands the problem being faced by the people,'' Mr. Yusuf said, adding that even the visiting officials of UP had agreed that it was due to the rigid stance of the previous regime that the problem could not be resolved.

The Minister said Delhi all along had been agreeable to the idea of UP running its buses up to the three Inter-States Bus Terminals (ISBTs) at Anand Vihar, Sarai Kale Khan and Kashmere Gate as also to the New Delhi and Old Delhi railway stations. "But they wanted to run buses on other city routes as well and this was something that no government would have allowed.''

However, now that the five-member delegation of transport officials from UP led by Principal Secretary (Transport) Pradeep Shukla had landed in Delhi and held discussions with their counterparts led by Principal Secretary (Transport) Chandra Mohan, the Minister expressed confidence that buses would again start plying between the two States in a very short span of time.

The two officials also announced that the talks had proceeded well. As a consequence, people who had suffered badly due to withdrawal of operation of 432 public transport buses between the two States might soon be able to travel with greater ease.

Mr. Yusuf said as soon as the name of the new UP Transport Minister was announced, Delhi would welcome the Minister and thereafter the new agreement would be signed. Incidentally, ever since the Mayawati Government has taken over the issue has moved forward. While it was Mr. Mohan who first sent a letter to UP, Mr. Shukla responded to it on Tuesday and then the UP officials arrived in Delhi for discussions.

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