Efforts on to resolve Metro-NHAI tangle

As work on the 13.8-kilometre Badarpur-Faridabad metro line remained suspended since Wednesday night, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), the nodal agency implementing the project in the NCR town, has informed Haryana government about the sudden development. Prabhu Razdan reports.

As work on the 13.8-kilometre Badarpur-Faridabad metro line remained suspended since Wednesday night, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), the nodal agency implementing the project in the NCR town, has informed Haryana government about the sudden development.

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Officials said the Haryana government was taking up with the matter with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). “I talked to the HUDA administrator, who is the nodal officer for this project, she informed the state government and I am told the government is taking up the matter with NHAI,” said Rakesh Gupta, deputy commissioner, Faridabad.

In a letter, the highway body has reminded DMRC of a meeting held on February 27, 2012, in the HUDA office, Faridabad. “It was decided in the meeting that DMRC would not carry out any work in the right of way (ROW) of NHAI till the alignment is finalised. However, it is sorry to point out that DMRC has started work in the ROW of NHAI without getting any prior approval,” project director CMU Mathura wrote in the letter to AK Gupta, chief project manager, DMRC.

Sources said some DMRC officials visited the spot to take stock of the situation.

“We have received a notice from NHAI and replied,” said Kumar Keshav, director (projects), DMRC. “We told them work began after proper approval,” he said, adding, “I believe work may have been stopped due to some other reasons, not NHAI.”