Lovely favours greater role of Delhi government in DMRC

Even as Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said her government does not interfere in the working of the Metro, transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely today favoured a greater role of the city's administration in the DMRC to ensure accountability.
    
The minister said he has asked his officials to submit a detailed report to him about yesterday's accident at a metro construction site in South Delhi's Jamrudpur in which six people were killed and 15 injured. "When these kind of incidents take place, the Government cannot shy away from its responsibilities. As transport minister I want them (DMRC) to maintain highest standard of quality," Lovely told PTI.
    
He said although the city Government's role has been restricted to funding only in DMRC so far, now time has come for a debate on whether the administration should have a greater say in view of two major accidents at metro construction sites including the one at Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi last year.
    
"I do believe that during the constitution of the DMRC, it was desired to have an autonomous body which can function independently with minimum interference. But after these two incidents, I do agree that a question mark on working of DMRC has been raised," Lovely said. "Although it (DMRC) has done a very good job, still there is a question of debate whether Government should have a greater role," Lovely said adding that he will take up the matter with the Cabinet soon.
 
Even though Dikshit has preferred to wait for the report from inquiry committee set up by the DMRC, Lovely has directed transport commissioner RK Verma to file a detailed report on the mishap. "After yesterday's incident, I have told the Transport Commissioner that he should collect a full report on the incident containing the reasons for the incident and who were responsible for it.
 
"Has the company been blacklisted or not? Besides other details from the DMRC...Then I will take this matter to the Cabinet and Cabinet will have a view on this," Lovely said. Soon after the incident yesterday, Metro had constituted a panel to inquire into the reason behind the collapse of the half-constructed bridge. It will submit its report within 10 days.
 
On being asked if the Delhi government would set up a separate probe penal apart from the Metro's, Dikshit had said, "There is no need for a separate committee."