After discussions with Metroman E Sreedharan here on Wednesday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that he will meet Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit during a trip planned shortly. “If possible, I shall try to meet Sheila Dikshit also. Work on Kochi Metro will commence after getting the approval of DMRC. The government is keen on the completion of the project in a time-bound manner,” Chandy said.
In his letter to Dikshit, Chandy also asked her to ensure that DMRC itself is in charge of the proposed monorail projects in T’Puram and Kozhikode.
Wednesday’s talks and Chandy’s announcement were intended as a damage control exercise after a letter written by principal secretary Tom Jose to the Union Urban Affairs Ministry seeking the locus standi of Sreedharan in DMRC created an uproar. Chandy had stated on Tuesday that if necessary, he was also planning to meet the Prime Minister and apprise him of the state’s demand to ensure Sreedharan’s involvement and DMRC role in the execution of the project.
Another round of talks between Aryadan Mohammed and Sreedharan is expected to be held here next week as a follow up to the current exercise.