The first phase of metro rail set to to start in Kanpur just before next year’s assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh has sparked a tussle between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) over credit for the project. Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the first phase of Kanpur Metro on December 28. Both the SP and BJP have earlier had issues in taking credit for projects such as the Jewar International Airport, Purvanchal Expressway, and Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.
In the first phase, the metro will run from IIT Kanpur to Motijheel area and will cover a distance of 9 kilometres, which will have 9 stations. At present, there will be one metro train of three coaches in Kanpur.
A total of six such metro trains will be made operational for the residents of Kanpur after the inauguration by the Prime Minister on 28 December.
The estimated cost of the Kanpur Metro project is Rs 11,076.48 crore. The project is expected to be completed in five years. About 40 lakh people are expected to benefit from the new metro rail project.
The SP claimed that it was their project for which foundation stone was laid in 2016. Speaking to news18, SP Spokesperson, Abdul Hafiz Gandhi said, “The proposal of metro in Kanpur was sent to Centre in April, 2016 by Samajwadi Party government. The proposal sent by the SP government was accepted and approved by the Centre.”
“The foundation stone was laid in October, 2016. So, the work of Kanpur Metro was started during the SP government. The Yogi government is only inaugurating the projects initiated and conceptualised during the Akhilesh Yadav government. BJP has not been able to provide development to the state. BJP’s failure on all fronts would cost dearly to it in the 2022 elections,” he said.
Refuting claims by SP, UP BJP Spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, “The Samajwadi Party government could only conduct an eight kilometre trial of Lucknow Metro during its regime, however Lucknow Metro was properly started by the BJP Government. Similarly, it was the BJP government which not just conducted a trial run of Kanpur Metro but also now we are going to start a proper nine kilometre first phase. The previous SP government has indulged only in lying and were busy in commissioning all the projects and that is why most of their projects were left incomplete.”
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