Work pending, Ballabgarh Metro rolls out

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Ballabgarh (Faridabad), Nov 20

The inauguration of the 3.2-km Escorts-Mujesar (Faridabad)-Raja Nahar Singh (Ballabgarh) section of the Violet Line running up to Kashmere Gate (Delhi) may have been a cause of cheer for commuters, but work on the project is far from over.

The authorities concerned are still working on some of the unfinished jobs, including a foot overbridge, escalators and parking. This section was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Krishan Pal Gurjar, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, and Mool Chand Sharma, local BJP MLA, were present at Raja Nahar Singh station, where a function was held.

“It may take between 20 and 25 days to complete the work at both stations,” said an official on the condition of anonymity. The DMRC had asked the administration to handover land for the construction of a parking lot at Sant Surdas station. This land was under encroachment of slum-dwellers.

Admitting that the inauguration had been done in haste, he stated that the rail track was operational though finishing touches were yet to be completed. “The pending work is negligible and will be completed soon,” said a DMRC spokesperson.

Security clearance to this section, built at a cost of Rs 580 crore, was given on Friday. With 40 trains on this route between Kashmere Gate and Raja Nahar Singh station, the peak hour frequency would be 6.48 minutes. This extension had two stations — Sant Surdas and Raja Nahar Singh.

The facility was likely to benefit around 50,000 commuters every day. The construction of this section had been marked by a delay of 19 months. While the minimum fare would be Rs 10, the maximum fare would be Rs 60. The fare on Sunday would be between Rs 10 and Rs 50.