Public Investment Board clears deck for Agra and Kanpur Metro
LUCKNOW: Decks have been cleared for Agra and Kanpur Metro Rail projects in Uttar Pradesh by Public Investment Board (PIB), according to government sources here.
“The minutes of the PIB meeting last week in New Delhi are yet to reach us, but yes, both the projects have received the go-ahead,” said a senior government official.
Both Agra and Kanpur metro projects would be implemented on equity sharing basis with the state and central governments pitching in with equal share. “The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated ₹175 crore for these two projects in the budget 2019,” the official said adding that an order had also been issued for appointment of a consultant to oversee and prepare the blueprints of all other future urban mass transport ventures.
With model poll code expected to come into force in the first week of March, efforts are being made by the officials to get projects ready for launch and those in the pipeline kick-started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Some of these big-ticket foundation stone laying ceremonies and launches on the anvil include the start of Defence Corridor in
› After the DPR is cleared by the state Cabinet, it is forwarded to the Centre for vetting and approval AN LMRC OFFICIAL
Jhansi, Jewar International Airport, Agra and Kanpur Metro Rail projects. “The inauguration of Lucknow Metro Rail service on the entire North-South Corridor is also expected to commence later in the month, depending on the security clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety,” said a government official.
“The CRS would start his three-day survey of the N-S corridor on February 20. We expect to receive his nod by February 26,” said an LMRC official.
Among the new projects, while the Agra Metro would have a total network of 30-kilometer and run on two corridors, foundation stone of the Kanpur Metro Rail was laid in 2016 during Akhilesh Yadav Government.
The project could not get off the ground as its DPR along with that of proposed Varanasi Metro Rail was turned down by the PIB, which asked the authorities to re-evaluate them in the light of the new metro rail policy. Other cities where metro rail projects are in the pipeline include Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Jhansi and Meerut.
“After the DPR is cleared by the state Cabinet, it is forwarded to the Centre for vetting and approval, since these are joint venture projects and the central government has to come on board statutorily. The new Metro Rail Policy provides for rigorous assessment of new metro proposals and proposes an independent third party assessment by agencies to be identified by the government like the Institute of Urban Transport and other such centres of excellence,” the LMRC official said.
According to him, Mini Metro Rails were most suitable for tier III towns, such as Varanasi and Gorakhpur, since they were cost effective and economical projects compared to regular or medium sized metros.