Sunday, August 26, 2007

Govt may allow pvt links to Metro

 
NEW DELHI: Do you want to have a metro station at your doorstep? Ask your developer. The government may allow private metro links if developers pay for an extension of metro to their township or apartment. DLF is already working on a similar model for a 6-km line in Gurgaon (from metro station to company's proposed Cyber City). Construction of metro track per km costs Rs 90-110 crore.

The government has no objection if metro in major cities adopt similar model. The urban development ministry is exploring options to include such a clause in the model Metro Act, which could be followed by other states. "We will have to examine such option. Otherwise, there is Indian Railways Act to guide such a move," an urban development ministry official said.
When contacted, DLF group executive director Rajeev Talwar said: "We have commissioned RITES to undertake a study for a metro link between proposed Gurgaon station and our cyber city. We will have to take due clearances from the state government as well as the central government."

However, these ventures will be totally private. The private party will develop and maintain the metro lines. "We have no objection to such proposals where private parties intend to develop a metro line. They (private firms) can also develop for themselves provided they have necessary clearances from state and the Centre. We don't intend to join such private ventures as we already have our hands full with ongoing and existing projects," Delhi Metro Rail Corporation director (projects) CBK Rao said.

Apart from Delhi Metro, these private projects are also possible in cities waiting to have a metro system. Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi are some cities to have metro systems in two years. Chandigarh and Chennai have also proposed for metro. "The private metro projects could prove to be extremely helpful for the last-mile linkage. Our townships and SEZs can have a suitable metro link with the state-operated metro stations," Parasvnath Developers MD Pradeep Jain said.

 
Source:ET

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