The Dehli Metro services may soon resume as part of Unlock 4.0, according to government sources.
Sources have suggested that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will soon be releasing guidelines for the fourth phase of opening up of lockdown and is expected to allow the resumption of metro services.
While metro rail services may be allowed from September 1 when the ‘Unlock 4’ phase in the graded reopening from the coronavirus-induced lockdown will begin, but there will be no reopening of schools and colleges immediately, the officials added.
Bars, which are so far not allowed to reopen, may be permitted to sale liquor over the counter for take away.
The official said there will be no reopening of schools and colleges immediately, but deliberations are underway on whether to allow reopening of higher educational institutions such as universities, IITs and IIMs. No decision has been taken on the matter yet, the official added.
There is almost no possibility of allowing cinema halls to reopen from September 1 as it will not be commercially viable for film-makers or cinema hall owners to operate following social distancing norm, another official said
Metro services were suspended in late March to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 31 lakh people in the country so far.
The development comes a day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Centre to reopen Delhi Metro on a trial basis as the Covid situation of the national capital is improving.
“I have requested the Centre that Delhi should be treated differently. Corona situation is improving in Delhi. If they do not want to run Metro trains in other cities, let it be so. But, in Delhi Metro train services should be started in a phased manner on a trial basis. We have raised this issue before the Centre many times, I hope the Centre will soon take a decision in this regard,” he said during a virtual meeting with Delhi’s traders and entrepreneurs.
