Khandelwal highlights delay in Metro projects in Parliament
Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal on Thursday raised concerns in Parliament about the significant delays in key Delhi Metro projects, specifically the Pink Line (Maujpur to Majlis Park) and the Magenta Line (Janakpuri West to RK Ashram Marg), both part of the Phase-IV expansion.
He sought updates from the government on the progress of these projects and asked for revised timelines.
In his response, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar acknowledged the delays affecting the extensions of both Metro lines that pass through the Model Town area. He explained that these extensions, which were initially expected to be completed by 2024, are now over a year behind schedule due to several challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, land acquisition issues and pending tree-cutting permissions.
The minister further clarified that two major Metro lines, the Yellow Line (Line-2) and Pink Line (Line-7), currently pass through the Model Town area, with a total of eight Metro stations. These include Vidhan Sabha, Vishwavidyalaya, Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar, Model Town, Azadpur, Adarsh Nagar, Shalimar Bagh and Majlis Park.
Highlighting the impact of the delays on Delhi residents, Khandelwal stressed, “The delays have caused significant inconvenience, especially for working professionals and students who rely on timely Metro services. The government must take immediate steps to address these issues and ensure the projects are completed as soon as possible.”
Khattar assured that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was committed to resolving the outstanding issues and was prioritising the completion of the projects. He assured the House that efforts would be made to expedite the pending work to bring the projects to fruition.
