No delay or cost over- run in Metro phase 3: Puri

Hardeep Singh Puri said the third phase of Delhi Metro involved construction of 190 km rail tracks

New Delhi, Aug. 2: The third phase of the Delhi Metro has not experienced any delay in construction or cost over- run, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour, minister of state for housing and urban development Hardeep Singh Puri said the third phase of Delhi Metro involved construction of 190 km rail tracks.

“The third phase of Delhi Metro which currently involves a total of 190 kms is not experiencing any delay in the construction or cost overruns,” he told the members.

He said the first two phases of Delhi Metro that started in 1997 and 2011, involved construction of a 190 kms over a 14- year period. Delhi Metro’s Phase 2 which commenced in 2011 and is due to be completed this year involved construction of 180 kms, but is being constructed in half the time, he said.

In a written reply, he said the “Delhi Metro Rail Corporation ( DMRC) has informed that due to nonavailability of land in time, the progress of work in some stretches of Phase III of Delhi Metro has been hampered”.

“At present, the Central government has not received any proposal of enhanced cost of project of Phase III of Delhi Metro,” he said.

Maintaining that Phase III, which is currently being implemented, was started in stages in December 2011, he said “out of a total of 150 kms, 98 kms has been made operational, another 4 kms will be commissioned by June 2019, and balance 3 kms by December 2020.”