After the recent construction mishaps in Delhi Metro, the Union government has decided to give legal cover for construction, operation and maintenance of metro rail systems. The Union urban development ministry today introduced the Metro Railways (Amendment) Bill 2009 for this purpose in the Lok Sabha.
The bill, says the Statement of Objects and Reasons, is needed “as currently there were no statutory provisions to provide legal backing to the development, construction, operation and maintenance of metro rail systems outside Delhi”. But Delhi Metro construction work has already extended to Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Gurgaon in Haryana.
Apart from the Delhi Metro’s extension programme, such rail networks are under construction in Bangalore and Chennai, and at different stages of consideration for Mumbai, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Kochi.
"Therefore, it has become necessary to make suitable amendments in the Metro Railways (Construction of Works) Act, 1978, and the Delhi Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, so as to make the provisions of both these Acts applicable to metro railways in the NCR, metropolitan cities and other areas for development, construction, operation and maintenance of metro railways," the Statement said.
The older Kolkata Metro will not be under the purview of this proposed law, as it is already being regulated through the Calcutta Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Temporary Provisions Act, 1985.SC/ST reservation for another 10 years
A Constitutional amendment bill to extend by another 10 years the reservation of seats for scheduled castes and tribes in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was passed today in the Lok Sabha. It was passed by the Rajya Sabha yesterday. Today’s measure had 375 members voting in favour, one opposing and another abstaining. The Bill, after President’s approval, will extend the reservations beyond January 25, 2010. "Although the SCs/STs have made considerable progress in the last 60 years, the reasons which weighed with the Constituent Assembly in making provisions with regard to reservation of seats and nomination of members have not ceased to exist," the statement of the bill, moved by Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said.
