Karnataka MPs suggest station near Karnataka Bhawan be named after Visvesvaraya; Cong criticizes move

Karnataka MPs suggest station near Karnataka Bhawan be named after Visvesvaraya; Cong criticizes move

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been asked to consider naming Metro stations after distinguished personalities such as late M Visvesvaraya and late Durgabai Deshmukh. The proposal was mooted at a meeting chaired by Urban Development and Housing Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday.

A senior official in the ministry said, “Several Karnataka MPs had requested that the station coming up near Karnataka Bhawan be named after M Visvesvaraya, a renowned engineer who belonged to Muddenahalli, a village in Karnataka. The name of Durgabai Deshmukh, a freedom fighter and social activist, was also mentioned for the same.”

However, the Congress criticised the move and said the convenience of the people should be given top priority. “We had also received similar demands earlier, but we did not heed them keeping in mind the convenience of the commuters of Delhi. Commuters identify stations by the name of a colony or area, not by the name of a personality,’’ DPCC spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said.

Besides, the ministry has also asked DMRC to re-examine the names of some existing Metro stations so that there is no confusion among commuters.

“This direction was given since several stations are named after areas which are actually located far from the station. For instance, Tughlaqabad is located at least five kilometres from the Tughlaqabad Metro station. But a person travelling to Tughlakabad will get off at this station because of its name,’’ an official said.

DMRC has also been asked to undertake a survey for extending the Metro rail line to Narela-Kutubgarh and Kondli. This move is important since housing projects of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will be coming up in Narela and Kondli.

“Many people are not interested in being allotted houses in areas such as Narela because of commuting issues. There is lack of proper public transport infrastructure there. But the extension of the Metro line to this area will change that,’’ a DDA official said.