New Delhi: Metro services, called the lifeline of the common people in the country’s capital Delhi, have been closed for the last five months due to the lockdown. Due to the operational shutdown, the financial crisis has come on the metro. There seems to be a situation of confrontation between the Center’s Narendra Modi and Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal government, to compensate for the deficit and loan on the metro. After the situation due to the lockdown, the Metro management had asked for financial help from the Central Government. The loan was cited for this help, but the central government has refused to provide financial help, citing it as the responsibility of the state government. Since then, there is a situation of confrontation between the central and state governments.
According to the media report, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has said that ‘alone is not our responsibility to bail out the metro and make up for the deficit. Metro fares have to be increased, then the center does not even ask us. When it comes to deciding the board, the central government does not even take the opinion of the state government. Not only this, the corridor has to be approved, even then we are not heard, so why should we pay the money alone. Whereas the central government makes all decisions related to the metro.
Metro is in deficit for the first time
According to media reports, the services of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) were stopped in Lockdown to prevent the spread of infection of the coronavirus. Due to this closure, the economic crisis has come on the metro. This is the first time in the last 18 years that the metro is in deficit due to the stoppage of operations in the lockdown. According to the report, the Central Government has taken a loan of 35 thousand 198 crores from the Japanese company Zika (Japan International Co-operation Agency) for the Metro Rail Scheme. Till now, DMRC has been paying the loan installment from the profits from operations, but it is being said that due to the closure, this time it does not have the money to repay the loan. According to information received from sources, in 2020-21, the Delhi Metro has to pay an installment of more than Rs 1, 242 crore.
