Broad gauge - it'll be for Delhi Metro

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG 11. The Union Railway Ministry today sought to put the lid on the controversy dogging the Delhi Metro Rail project by asserting that there is no move to reconsider the adoption of the broad gauge system.

In a statement issued here, the Ministry sought to put the record straight on this important issue which has been raised repeatedly since 1997. Soon after taking over as Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Mr. E. Sreedharan had requested the Ministry for reconsideration of the gauge to be laid. Noting this, the Railways today pointed out that Mr. Sreedharan as Member (Engineering) of the Railway Board had himself categorically supported the recommendation of the project report that broad gauge be used for the project. ``While taking this view, he had also recorded that there was no case for introducing another gauge in the country.''

The Railways also pointed out that as DMRC's MD, Mr. Sreedharan had set up an expert committee which also recommended adoption of broad gauge. When DMRC was not satisfied with the stand taken by the Ministry of Railways in not changing the proposed gauge to metre gauge, the matter was raised by the Union Ministry for Urban Development, the nodal ministry for urban transport planning, before the high-power Group of Ministers (GoM) set up by the Prime Minister to settle disputes. Headed by the Union Home Minister, the GoM upheld the stand taken by the Railways.

``Unfortunately, despite a decision at the level of the GoM, DMRC did not abandon the issue and continued raising the matter until it was considered by the Empowered Committee of Secretaries in early 2001 when the issue of alleged loss of Rs. 800-900 crores likely to be suffered by the project in case the decision on the gauge was not reversed, was also discussed threadbare. The DMRC was asked to prove its contention on this score and when they were unable to do so, this committee also decided against changing the gauge.''

``Claims to the contrary by DMRC are, therefore, without any logic,'' the Railway Ministry added.

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