Metro rail project: Haryana’s plan to partner with UT may be decided today

May 21, 2013

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times

Chandigarh,

Haryana’s plan to partner with UT administration in the ambitious Metro rail project is likely to be decided in a meeting of the project’s coordination committee in New Delhi on Monday.
UT administration, Punjab, Haryana and the union ministry of urban development (MUD) will take part in the meeting to discuss the project that is expected to cost Rs. 10,900 crore. The Metro, once completed, will cover a distance of 35.75 kilometers and be a mode of rapid public transport for Chandigarh, Panchkula and SAS Nagar. The government of Punjab and Haryana and UT administration will jointly bear the expenses of the project.

Haryana has expressed its intention of becoming a partner with Chandigarh in the project. Punjab government would just bear the cost of the project falling in its jurisdiction. The Punjab cabinet has already approved the link between SAS Nagar and Chandigarh. Chandigarh plans to take a loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency, which also gave the loan for the Delhi Metro project.

Last year, the administration had submitted a detailed project report to the MUD for approval, which is still pending. The ministry is likely to give a nod after deliberation on all issues related to the project.

While corridor 1 of the project, measuring 12.49 km, will stretch from Capitol Complex in Sector 1 of Chandigarh to Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan in Sector 70 of SAS Nagar, the second corridor would stretch from Mullanpur in SAS Nagar district to Grain Market in Sector 20 of Panchkula. UT adviser KK Sharma and UT finance secretary VK Singh will represent Chandigarh in the meeting.

Source -http://www.hindustantimes.com