Not possible to monitor metro rail projects: Govt

The ongoing 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12) had specified an allocation of Rs 3,303 crore for metro rail projects across the country

PTI | December 7, 2011



The government on Wednesday said it is neither "possible nor feasible" for it to monitor the progress of metro rail projects and supervise its construction in the country.

"Neither it is possible nor feasible for the central government to supervise the construction and monitor all metro rail projects, particularly for the non metropolitan cities," minister of state for planning Ashwani Kumar said.

The ongoing 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12) had specified an allocation of Rs 3,303 crore for metro rail projects across the country.

Kumar said a project report for construction of a 28.95 km Ludhiana Metro Rail with a total cost of Rs 8,705 crore has been prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

"However, no proposal for in-principle approval of the project has been received in the planning commission. during discussion of Annual Plan 2011-12 between the planning commission and the government of Punjab, the planning commission has offered advisory support to take up the project under public-private partnership mode," he said.

The minister said funding for the extension projects of DMRC has been mainly through grants from the central and the Delhi state government.

"So far as Kochi Metro in Kerala is concerned, the planning commission has recommended setting up of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) by the state government for implementing the project and the government of India may provide a viability gap funding (VGF).

In 2009, the planning commission had given in-principle approval for the 25.6 kilometre Kochi metro rail project.

Comments

 

Other News

Not just politics, let`s discuss policies too

Why public policy matters Most days, India`s loudest debates stop at the ballot box. We can name every major leader and recall every campaign slogan. Still, far fewer of us can explain why a widow`s pension is delayed or how a government school`s budget is actually approved. That

When algorithms decide and children die

The images have not left me, of dead and wounded children being carried in the arms of the medics and relatives to the ambulances and hospitals. On February 28, at the start of Operation Epic Fury, cruise missiles struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh school – officially named a girls’ school, in Minab,

The economics of representation: Why women in power matter

India’s democracy has grown in scale, but not quite in balance. Women today are active participants in elections, influencing outcomes in ways that were not as visible earlier. Yet their presence in legislative institutions continues to lag behind. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was meant to addres

India will be powerful, not aggressive: Bhaiyyaji

India is poised to emerge as a global power but will remain rooted in its civilisational ethos of non-aggression and harmony, former RSS General Secretary Suresh `Bhaiyyaji` Joshi has said.   He was speaking at the launch of “Rashtrabhav,” a book by Ravindra Sathe

AI: Code, Control, Conquer

India today stands at a critical juncture in the area of artificial intelligence. While the country is among the fastest adopters of AI in the world, it remains heavily reliant on technologies developed elsewhere. This paradox, experts warn, cannot persist if India seeks technological sovereignty.

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter