Kejriwal should look at Delhi transport system lacking 7,000 buses: Puri

Taking a dig at Arvind Kejriwal for stating that Delhi metro has become out of reach of common man, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri Thursday said the chief minister should instead look at the state of public transport system under his government which lacks 7,000 buses.Addressing the 13th Sustainability Summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Puri said the national capital has the fourth largest metro system in the world,He said it was a first class asset and most affordable metro anywhere in the world."My good friend - the chief minister of Delhi - was expressing sadness that so many people have moved away from the metro. The report has been produced by people who are reasonably credible but they have an agenda where they are not comparing an orange with an orange. What they end up doing was completely falsifying the facts," Puri said."If somebody wants to be sad, they should be sad about the fact that the other public transport in Delhi which comes under the government which has a sanction of 11,000 buses is about 7,000 short," he said.A recent study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had found that after the fare hike last year, Delhi metro has become the second-most unaffordable service in the world among the cities that charge less than half a US dollar for a trip.Reacting to the study, Kejriwal Wednesday said it was "very sad" that an important means of transport had become out of reach of common man.The Union minister said the metro ridership at any point of time before the hike was 27 lakh and today the ridership has crossed 29 lakh. The study of 2016 which said the ridership would increase to 32 lakh took into consideration the Phase-3 which has not become operational as yet, he said.The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Wednesday termed as "misleading" the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report which also claimed the Delhi Metro received nearly 32 per cent less than the number of daily passengers it had hoped to serve this year, saying its earlier projection included Phase-3 which has not become operational as yet.Puri said India's development trajectory will be "green" and in consonance with the ethos of the 2030 development agenda.He said the country stands united in its efforts against rising global temperatures and a quick glance at India's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions reaffirms this point. He also referred to the target of 175 GW renewable energy capacities by 2022 as unprecedented.The Housing and Urban Affairs minister averred that the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 recognised the intrinsic linkages between climate change and urbanisation."Goal 11, titled 'Make Cities and Human Settlements Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable' has embedded in it, critical elements of climate action. Solid waste management, air pollution, slum housing and water-related disasters are just some of the climate-related aspects covered," he outlined.Pointing to the objective of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) to make India Open Defecation Free and have 100 per cent scientific solid waste management by October 2, 2019, Puri suggested that SBM was not only about infrastructure, but also bringing about behavioural and cultural changes among citizens.He added that to ensure the country's city-driven development is sustainable, the government has embarked on the world's largest planned urbanisation programme. The key to the process is 'integration', meaning all policies, projects and proposals are considered in relation to one another, the minister said.The career diplomat-turned-politician said the use of new and alternative construction technologies and locally available eco-friendly materials suited to local climatic conditions were being encouraged, thus reducing not only the cost of construction, but also the resultant carbon footprint.He also emphasised on "affordable, eco-friendly and modern urban transportation services" and said the Delhi Metro was comparable to the best in the world.

Kejriwal should look at Delhi transport system lacking 7,000 buses: Puri

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