The Hindu : Delhi gets Metro Railway

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 25, 2002

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Delhi gets Metro Railway

By Our Staff Reporter

The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, the Union Minister for Urban Development, Ananth Kumar, and the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, ride in the Delhi Metro during its inaugural run on Tuesday. — PTI

NEW DELHI DEC. 24. After long years of wait, Delhi got its metro rail today. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, was the first passenger on the Delhi Metro Railway when he boarded a gleaming new train at Kashmere Gate station here this morning and travelled to Seelampur, where he formally inaugurated the 8.3-km Shahdara-Tis Hazari Metro corridor by pulling a lever and waving a green flag.

Mr. Vajpayee said it was the realisation of a long-cherished dream and fulfilment of a dire need for Delhiites. ``Being the capital of the world's largest democracy, Delhi is witness to a population surge and needs basic facilities to make life comfortable for the citizens.''

Mr. Vajpayee described the project as an outstanding example of international cooperation between India and Japan as well as South Korea, as also of synergy and coordination between the Centre and the Delhi Government.

Downplaying the politics being played between the BJP and the Congress over the Metro -- which came to the fore when, irked by constant slogan-shouting by supporters of the Metro Chairman Madan Lal Khurana, Congress Councillors too decided to join in the chorus -- the Prime Minister said while a little tussle was understandable cooperation was needed to progress. Earlier, in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, the Union Minister for Urban Development, Ananth Kumar, the Union Minister of State for Urban Development, O. Rajagopal, the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, and Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor, Vijai Kapoor, the Prime Minister cut the red ribbon at Kashmere Gate station. He then bought the first ticket for a Metro ride and proceeded to the automatic fare collection network from where he gained access into the station's paid area. At the function at Seelampur, Mr. Ananth Kumar said moving a step ahead of ``the country's commercial capital Mumbai, knowledge capital Bangalore and cyber capital Hyderabad, Delhi has shown the way in Metro construction.''

The 8.3-km section would cater to an estimated two lakh people daily.

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