DELHI METRO OBSERVES ITS 32ND FOUNDATION DAY The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) observed its 32nd Foundation Day today at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The occasion was attended by Smt. Rekha Gupta, Hon’ble Chief Minister, GNCTD and Sh. Tokhan Sahu, Hon’ble Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. Other dignitaries in attendance included Shri Katikithala Srinivas, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Chairman, DMRC and Dr. Vikas Kumar, Managing Director, DMRC. During the programme, DMRC’s Annual Awards were presented to individuals and teams for their exemplary contributions to the organization. The recognitions included: Metro Woman of the Year: Smt. Sushma Yadav, Senior Station Controller/ Train Operator Metro Man of the Year: Shri Harendra Kumar, Manager/ Electrical Best Metro Station: Lajpat Nagar Metro Station Best Metro Depot: Najafgarh Depot Rajbhasha Puruskar: Shri Rajesh Kumar Sharma, Section Officer/ Labour Welfare The ceremony was also attended by senior officials from the Embassy of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). JICA has been a continuous pillar of support for the Delhi Metro project right since the commencement of the project. The Hon'ble Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs & Power, Sh. Manohar Lal congratulated DMRC on this momentous occasion through a message. “With an ambitious start in 2002, the Delhi Metro showed a new path of development and progress to India’s urban transport. Today Metro networks of over 1150 kilometres are operational in 26 cities with several thousand kilometres in various stages of construction and planning,” Sh. Lal conveyed. The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi, Smt. Rekha Gupta appreciated Delhi Metro for its achievements and said, ”work is continuously in progress for Delhi Metro’s Phase 4 and 5A corridors. Recently our Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modiji dedicated two new corridors to our city and laid the foundation stone for three new corridors for which work has started. For this, I congratulate the people of Delhi,” she said. “On the occasion of the 32nd Foundation Day of Delhi Metro, I would like to share this good news with the people of Delhi, that the Delhi Metro is starting preparations for seven new corridors under Phase 5B of expansion,” she added. (Details of the seven proposed corridors are placed at Annexure 1) The Hon’ble Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, Sh. Tokhan Sahu also addressed the gathering and said, “This is not merely an occasion of completion of a year. Rather, it’s a celebration of the faith that lakhs of people of Delhi NCR bestow on you every day. Indeed, Bharat is transforming at a rapid pace now.” The event was an occasion to reflect at how far Delhi Metro has come and to appreciate the hard work of everyone who has been part of this journey. It was also a reminder of DMRC’s continued focus on providing safe, dependable, and eco-friendly travel to the people of Delhi and the surrounding areas.