700 km of new metro lines made operational in last 10 years: Khattar

Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said 700 km of new metro lines have been made operational in the last 10 years, taking the total track length to 945 km. Metro services are now in 21 cities of the country, the housing and urban affairs minister said and added that prior to 2014, the service was operational in only five cities. Talking to reporters about the issue of additional Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors, besides the one between Delhi and Meerut, Khattar flagged resistance from the Delhi government as the cause of delay but assured that the remaining two priority corridors connecting Gurugram, Manesar and Dharuhera, and Sonepat and Panipat in the north of the national capital will soon be sanctioned. Hours after the minister's claim, the Delhi government, in a statement, said that there has been no delay on its part. "The Delhi government has already given its share of amount to fund the project," it said. "So much money has been given by the Delhi