Title - Metro extension to Noida, Faridabad put on hold

NEW DELHI: The much awaited decision on Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) taking up two extension projects - one each in Noida and Faridabad - was deferred by the company's board last week after Delhi government representatives present in the meeting sought more time to submit the official response to the proposals.Sources said after Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has made her views public against Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) taking up fresh projects outside the national capital, the city government seems to be in no mood to favour the corporation for executing two extension plans -- Noida City Centre to Sector-62 and YMCA Chowk in Faridabad to Ballabhgarh."This is nothing else than a tactics to buy time by the Delhi government. Their representatives had agreed to all the proposals when a sub-committee held meeting on the same issues. Now it surprises why they now propose to submit fresh views," said a senior Union urban development ministry official.He added that only after the go ahead from all sub-committee members the proposals were included in the agenda. "Extension of those two lines and one in Ghaziabad is very crucial for providing better connectivity to Delhi. The purpose to arrest or reduce stress on city's infrastructure will be defeated if we delay such decisions," the official claimed.To tame the chief minister even the Planning Commission had said that it wants DMRC to take up projects in the NCR.Earlier Dikshit had sent a letter to defence minister A K Antony registering her unhappiness after Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments had made announcements on expansion of Metro network in their states. She had written that the announcements were made without the approval of the group of ministers (GoM) and without consulting her government, which has a 50% share in the DMRC.The 6.7-km City Centre-Sector 62 link is proposed be completely elevated. In the case Faridabad, Haryana has pushed for extension of the Metro track by 3.2 km from YMCA Chowk to Ballabhgarh for better connectivity.