Revisit provision that no metro properties can be attached

09 Mar 2023 CW Team

Puri made the remark in a document attached to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' supplemental affidavit submitted in the Delhi High Court on March 3. He declined to provide permission to attach Delhi Metro properties, claiming that it has become the lifeline of Delhi and the National Capital Region, with lakhs of people relying on it for a living.

This comes just days after the Delhi High Court directed the Centre to rule on whether to grant sanction for attaching moveable and immovable assets of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in order to pay the unpaid amount of an arbitral award to the Reliance Infrastructure-promoted Delhi Airport Metro Express (DAMEPL).

According to the minister, the Delhi Metro serves around 60 lakh passengers in the Delhi-NCR on a daily basis.

"The Central Government is being asked to give approval to attach DMRC properties to pay a corporation that abandoned/deserted the airport metro line services in the first few years of a 30-year contract," the minister added.

He stated that any negative outcome that causes the public utility to come to a halt could result in a significant law-and-order problem spanning roughly 400 kilometres of the metro network.

"I further direct the division to reconsider and revise Section 89 of the Metro Act, 2002, to make it absolute, so that no attachment of its properties, bank accounts, or other assets or operations can ever be carried out," Puri added.

Manoj Joshi, the secretary in the ministry, stated in his own notation in the document attached to the affidavit, "Given the backdrop of the case and in light of public interest, we should not allow for sanction attachment of DMRC assets."

Also Read
Redevelopment works to begin at Ludhiana railway station
Duhai depot of RRTS project starts its operation for 82km

Asserting that the Delhi Metro is the lifeline of the national capital and its surrounding areas, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has directed officials to reconsider a Metro Railways Act provision that would prevent the metro's properties or bank accounts from ever being attached. Puri made the remark in a document attached to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' supplemental affidavit submitted in the Delhi High Court on March 3. He declined to provide permission to attach Delhi Metro properties, claiming that it has become the lifeline of Delhi and the National Capital Region, with lakhs of people relying on it for a living. This comes just days after the Delhi High Court directed the Centre to rule on whether to grant sanction for attaching moveable and immovable assets of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in order to pay the unpaid amount of an arbitral award to the Reliance Infrastructure-promoted Delhi Airport Metro Express (DAMEPL). According to the minister, the Delhi Metro serves around 60 lakh passengers in the Delhi-NCR on a daily basis. The Central Government is being asked to give approval to attach DMRC properties to pay a corporation that abandoned/deserted the airport metro line services in the first few years of a 30-year contract, the minister added. He stated that any negative outcome that causes the public utility to come to a halt could result in a significant law-and-order problem spanning roughly 400 kilometres of the metro network. I further direct the division to reconsider and revise Section 89 of the Metro Act, 2002, to make it absolute, so that no attachment of its properties, bank accounts, or other assets or operations can ever be carried out, Puri added. Manoj Joshi, the secretary in the ministry, stated in his own notation in the document attached to the affidavit, Given the backdrop of the case and in light of public interest, we should not allow for sanction attachment of DMRC assets. Also Read Redevelopment works to begin at Ludhiana railway station Duhai depot of RRTS project starts its operation for 82km

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

GAIL to Set Up Bengaluru CBG Plant Under New Concession Pact

GAIL (India) Limited has signed a 20-year concession agreement with the Bengaluru City Municipal Corporation (BBMP) to set up a compressed biogas (CBG) plant in the city. The project, expected to produce around 10 tonnes of CBG daily, will utilise municipal solid waste as feedstock, contributing to clean energy generation and efficient waste management. The CBG produced will be used in GAIL’s City Gas Distribution network to promote cleaner fuel usage. The initiative aligns with the government’s Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme and GAIL’s broader ..

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

Uttarakhand HC Lifts 31-Year Ban on ONGC’s Contractual Hiring

The Uttarakhand High Court has lifted a 31-year-old ban on the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) from hiring contractual workers, a restriction imposed in 1993. The decision enables ONGC’s Dehradun establishment to employ personnel on a contractual basis to meet operational requirements. The long-standing prohibition had limited ONGC’s ability to fill vacancies in its technical and administrative departments, often leading to project delays and higher dependence on outsourcing. With the court’s directive, the public sector enterprise can now proceed with temporary recruitments whil..

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

JSW Energy’s Utkal Unit Bags 400 MW, 25-Year Power Supply Deal

JSW Energy Limited announced that its subsidiary, JSW Energy (Utkal) Limited, has secured a Letter of Award (LoA) from Karnataka’s Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL) for the supply of 400 MW of electricity for 25 years. The agreement is part of a competitive bidding process for long-term procurement of power to meet the state’s growing energy demand. The 400 MW capacity will be supplied from JSW Energy’s upcoming thermal power project in Odisha. This development strengthens JSW Energy’s presence in the southern market and aligns with its strategy to enhance long-term contracte..