Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Delay in Kochi Metro Rail project has cost State dear, says Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has said that a two-year delay by the State government in taking a decision on the Kochi Metro Rail project has imposed a heavy financial burden on the State.

In a statement here on Sunday, he said the government would have to restart the entire procedures because the project proposals had been kept in cold storage after the previous United Democratic Front government completed the groundwork to start the project in February 2007 and commission it by 2010.

He said the previous government began the spade work in 2004 with the objective of solving the commuting woes of an estimated 14-lakh population of Kochi. The government entrusted the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation with submitting a detailed report, on December 29, 2004. The latter submitted its report in July 2005, envisaging a 25.253-km railway line from Aluva to Pettah in Kochi in the first stage and extending it up to Thripunithura in the second phase at a total cost of Rs. 1,966 crore.

Mr. Chandy said the previous government examined the proposals in detail and a high-level meeting, convened by him as Chief Minister on October 19, 2005, took a final decision to implement the project. A high-level committee comprising of heads of various Government departments was set up with Kinfra being appointed the nodal agency. The committee held its first meeting on January 3, 2006. On January 16, expressions of interest were invited through advertisements in national and international dailies for the project, and on March 31, a nodal officer was appointed. Mr. Chandy said six companies had submitted expressions of interest. These were sent to Delhi Metro for processing.

Under the timetable prepared by the previous government, work was supposed to be launched on February 2007. The present government would have to order a feasibility report and go through the various procedures all over again. This would only lead to further delays. Now that the LDF Government had revived the project, the cost would go up from Rs. 1,966 crore to Rs. 2,500 crore.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Oral care foundation set up
National Consumer Rights Day
Minister’s statement hailed
Action sought against LPG black marketing
State School IT Fest-2007 to start on December 29 at Technopark
Theatre festival from Wednesday
Delay in Kochi Metro Rail project has cost State dear, says Chandy
Members to take up library issue with British Prime Minister
Call to cut prices of life-saving drugs
Implement bonus ordinance: AITUC
KC(Jacob) gets fresh lease of political life
SFI workshop begins
Civic bypolls in February
CPI(M) district meet from Wednesday
Report on farmers’ debt in Alappuzha by January

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu