LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday cleared the proposal for extending the Delhi Metro rail service to Ghaziabad. The 2.05-km-long rail track from Inter-State Bus Terminus terminal in Delhi to Vaishali housing scheme in Ghaziabad is proposed to be taken up in Phase II of Delhi Metro.

The Cabinet approval comes after preliminary talks between the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the State Government.

State Chief Secretary Naveen Chandra Bajpai said the Metro Rail would have two stoppages in Ghaziabad, one at Kaushambi and the other at Vaishali. The Rs. 170-crore project would be executed by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) and the money would be generated by the authority from its own resources.

Mr. Bajpai said the project is likely to be completed within two years. Following the Cabinet approval, talks would be initiated by GDA officials for clinching the agreement with DMRC.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet approved the setting up of 25 new industrial training institutes (ITIs) in minority-dominated community development blocks in the State. The new ITIs would impart training in 12 trades including dressmaking, fashion technology, computer applications, gas and electronic welding, information technology and systems maintenance.

The Chief Secretary said 650 new posts of trainers would be created for the 25 ITIs.

Besides, 50 new ITIs would be established for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes children, for which 900 fresh posts of teachers would be created. These institutes would be set up under the Special Component Plan.

The Cabinet also agreed to constitute a State Bio-Diversity Board under Section 22 of the Bio-Diversity Act, 2002. To be headed by an environmentalist, the board would have five permanent members in the principal secretaries of environment, horticulture, agriculture, animal husbandry and forest conservation departments.

In addition, the board will have five additional members who would be experts from the field of environment and biodiversity, the Chief Secretary added.

The detailed project report of the proposed State medical colleges at Kannauj and Jalaun were also approved by the Cabinet.

Both the medical colleges would be 500-bed hospitals each. The project cost has been estimated at Rs. 212 crores for each college.

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