Metro puts art on hold

For a commuter in tearing hurry, there's hardly any time to appreciate art and aesthetics.

For a commuter in tearing hurry, there's hardly any time to appreciate art and aesthetics. No wonder, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has now decided to do away with using expensive murals and paintings for its upcoming stations. "Instead, we'll focus on timely completion," a source said.

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"We have decided not to use any art work at stations for the time being. Our priority is work completion. We may consider the issue later," DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal said.

No artwork has now been planned at any of the stations in the Kashmere Gate-Central Secretariat underground section and also the Barakhamba-Dwarka line, set to open in June and December.

Officials said despite having spent lakhs on artwork, passengers don't seem to have liked them much, he said. The DMRC had sought feedback from passengers and officials had also interacted with them on this and other issues. "We feel these are only add-ons and the stations would look aesthetic enough without them too," Dayal said.

However, M Vijayamohan principal of College of Art, whose students worked on the Shahdara station, does not agree. "Not only are these aesthetically pleasing but also provide a touch of culture and history to the stations," Vijayamohan said.

Ironically, while DMRC is discontinuing the concept for the time being, other agencies seem to have picked it up. Delhi Tourism has provided murals and other art work at three of its subways constructed along with the Lajpat Nagar flyover.