lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has sought a detailed report from the Delhi Government over the dismantling of the BRT corridor that was built by the Sheila Dikshit dispensation at nearly `180 crore. In a note to the Transport Commissioner, the l-G office has sought to know whether the AAP government followed the laid down procedures in dismantling the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor.
It may be recalled that Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had launched the process of dismantling the corridor in January last year.
“The lt Governor has asked for a detailed report from the transport department over the scrapping of the BRT by the Delhi government,” a source said.
The move may trigger administrative confrontation between the AAP government and the l-G office. Scrapping of the `180-crore traffic project built in 2008 was one of the poll promises of the Aam Aadmi Party.
The Kejriwal Government had approved `11 crore for the dismantling of the BRT corridor- from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand- in south Delhi.
In July 2016, Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch had conducted raids on the offices of PWD and transport department, acting on BJP allegations of irregularities in dismantling of the BRT corridor.
After the raid, Sisodia, while refuting the allegations, had said he had initiated the dismantling on people’s demand. “We will proudly go to jail for public duty,” he had said.
According to the government, the 6.20-km-long BRT model had “failed” as it was causing a traffic “mess” in south Delhi.