BJP ridicules BRT corridor

  • 22/04/2008

  • Hindu (New Delhi)

On the eve of Earth Day, Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan on Monday appealed to the people to protest against the controversial new Bus Rapid Transit corridor by taking out candlelight marches across Delhi. One such procession would also be taken out by the Delhi BJP on the 5.6-km Ambedkar Nagar-Moolchand Hospital section of the corridor on which trial runs have begun. Dr. Vardhan said the BRT corridor had been a huge drain on government funds. "A large amount of money has been spent on it without a proper study and this has led to the creation of a project that is not only expensive but is also dangerous for commuters,' he added. Stating that eight persons have already lost their lives on this corridor and many more have been injured, he said now that it has been activated on a trial basis people were suffering even more. "When there is opposition from every quarter then it needs to be probed why the Congress Government has started this corridor,' he said. Dr. Vardhan said it was also a matter of great concern that due to the construction of the BRT corridor thousands of trees have been felled. He accused the Delhi Government of working against the environment by giving the green signal for construction of six more such corridors. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in Delhi Legislative Assembly Jagdish Mukhi ridiculed the project stating that now people were spending up to two hours in covering the 5.6-km section. "Work of this corridor was taken up without any vision and without taking the ground realities into consideration,' he said, adding that to cover up the mistakes now the Government was committing more mistakes. "As many as 132 policemen and guards have been deployed on this section for controlling the traffic. When even their presence has failed to have the desired impact, what would happen once they are gone?' he asked.