L-G seeks report on dismantling of BRT

after the capital’s lone BRT corridor was dismantled, lieutenant governor Anil Baijal has now sought a detailed report from the Delhi government about the dismantling process.

In a note to the transport commissioner, the L-G office has sought to know whether the Delhi government followed the laid down procedures in dismantling the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. The corridor was built by the Sheila Dikshitled Delhi government at a cost of ₹180 crore and in January 2016, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia had launched the process of dismantling it.

While the transport department said it is yet to get the note, officials in the L-G house said, “A detailed report has been sought from the transport department over scrapping of the BRT.” The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had approved ₹11 crore for the dismantling of the BRT corridor — from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand — in south Delhi.

According to the government, the 6.20-km-long BRT model had “failed” as it was causing a traffic “mess” in south Delhi. The move may trigger administrative confrontation between the AAP government and the L-G office. Scrapping of the ₹180-crore traffic project built in 2008 was one of the poll promises of the Aam Aadmi Party.

In July 2016, Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch had conducted raids on the offices of PWD and transport department, acting on BJP allegations of irregularities in dismantling of the BRT corridor. After the raid, Sisodia, while refuting the allegations, had said he had initiated the dismantling on people’s demand. “We will proudly go to jail for public duty,” he had said.