A day after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor should be scrapped in its ‘present form,’ Transport Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj burst into action on the BRT system in Delhi. It is learnt that the Minister has decided to examine the feasibility reports of the 14 BRT corridors planned for the national Capital on a priority. The Minister has also asked for the details of the funds allocated by the Government to Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS) and Public Works Department (PWD) to prepare the detailed project reports of the proposed corridors.
The previous Government had spent approximately Rs 200 crore on the operational BRT corridor between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand, while another Rs 60 crore had been expended to prepare the project reports of the 14 corridors in Delhi. For the execution of the upcoming corridors, feasibility study and DPR preparation work was segregated to DIMTS and PWD. The corridors for which the study reports have been prepared by DIMTS include - Gandhi Nagar to Chilla Regulator, Dilshad Garden to ISBT, Karkari More to Gokulpuri, Mundka to Pooth Khurd, Dhaula Kuan to Chhawla, Badarpur to Airport and Mukundpur to Kondli. DIMTS has charged an exorbitant sum of Rs 32 lakh per kilometre for the preparation of the DPRs of these seven corridors effecting a total cost of Rs 36.99 crore for the preparation of reports on the 115 km stretch.
The PWD on the other hand, prepared reports in half the amount charged by DIMTS for the other seven corridors. These include Narela to Azadpur, ISBT Anand Vihar to CP, ISBT Kashmere Gate to Shahi Idgah, Mundka Tikri Border, Mukundpur to Palam More, Sarai Kale Khan to Jorbagh, Kirbi Place to Tilak Nagar and National Stadium to Gazipur.