New Delhi: Mayur Vihar Pocket-I metro station in east Delhi has been renamed Shri Ram Mandir Mayur Vihar, while Pitampura metro station will now be called Madhuban Chowk, following a recommendation by the State Naming Authority (SNA), chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta. After the approval, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) updated signage and information boards at the stations. Opened in Dec 2018 under Phase III of the Delhi Metro expansion, the Shri Ram Mandir Mayur Vihar station is a key transit point for commuters in east Delhi. Located on the network’s longest corridor, it links residential pockets with commercial hubs and provides an alternative to the area’s congested arterial roads. Reasoning that a temple is located near one of its gates, Trilokpuri MLA Ravikant Ujjain said the renaming fulfilled a long-standing public demand. “People had been demanding for years that the station be renamed after the temple, but no action was taken earlier. Since last six months, I have been pursuing the matter seriously and even raised it with chief minister Rekha Gupta. I also wrote letters in this regard, following which the renaming was carried out. The renaming is the fulfilment of a genuine public demand,” said Ujjain. The State Naming Authority is a statutory body of the Delhi govt responsible for naming and renaming streets, parks, colonies and other geographical entities within the National Capital Territory, excluding areas under MCD and NDMC. The chief minister is the chairperson, the chief secretary is a member and the additional chief secretary/principal secretary/secretary (Urban Development) serves as the member-secretary. The committee may invite historians, academics or subject experts as special invitees when required. Meanwhile, officials said two under-construction Magenta Line stations have been proposed to be named North Pitampura–Prashant Vihar and Haiderpur Village Metro Station, aligning station names with the adjoining localities.
