City’s share in Rs 150cr fund for MRTS or Metro?
tnn | Feb 8, 2019, 05:00 ISTVaranasi: UP’s annual Budget for 2019-20 has provided Rs 150 crore for preliminary work on Metro rail projects for Varanasi, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj and Jhansi.
However, experts here are uncertain whether the city’s share in Rs 150 crore fund is for Metro rail or Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS), for which some preliminary work has already been done.
The Metro rail project for Varanasi, which was prepared by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) 2016, was put on the backburner in view of practical problems in 2018, just a year after formation of BJP government in the state.
In its place, VDA had asked RITES to prepare a comprehensive mobility plan for the city under MRTS by incorporating various modes of transportation.
Commenting on the issue, divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal said, “Planning for preparing a comprehensive mobility plan for developing MRTS by incorporating all alternative modes of transportation in view of the ground realities is underway.”
“These work is being done on the initiative of the Union ministry of urban development with the cooperation of UP government,” he added.
Officials consider that provision of Rs 150 crore for preliminary work on Metro rail project for five cities, including Varanasi, could have been utilized for the ongoing MRTS planning.
In 2015, then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had announced Metro rail projects for Varanasi and Kanpur. As per VDA records, in January 2015 the state government asked RITES to prepare a feasibility report and DPR.
In the initial DPR, RITES had proposed two Metro rail corridors in Varanasi by estimating time of completion of project by March 2023, and also the cost as over Rs 17,702 crore. The VDA paid about Rs 3 crore to RITES for preparing DPR. The state government approved it on June 8, 2016.
Later, the DPR was forwarded to the Union ministry of urban development on August 29, 2016 for its approval. However, the ministry raised questions on the commercial viability of the project, especially introduction of the service in old city areas.
After the formation of BJP government in UP, VDA had paid Rs 81 lakh to RITES for preparing the feasibility report of Metro rail service proposed in the city.
However, experts here are uncertain whether the city’s share in Rs 150 crore fund is for Metro rail or Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS), for which some preliminary work has already been done.
The Metro rail project for Varanasi, which was prepared by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) 2016, was put on the backburner in view of practical problems in 2018, just a year after formation of BJP government in the state.
In its place, VDA had asked RITES to prepare a comprehensive mobility plan for the city under MRTS by incorporating various modes of transportation.
Commenting on the issue, divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal said, “Planning for preparing a comprehensive mobility plan for developing MRTS by incorporating all alternative modes of transportation in view of the ground realities is underway.”
“These work is being done on the initiative of the Union ministry of urban development with the cooperation of UP government,” he added.
Officials consider that provision of Rs 150 crore for preliminary work on Metro rail project for five cities, including Varanasi, could have been utilized for the ongoing MRTS planning.
In 2015, then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had announced Metro rail projects for Varanasi and Kanpur. As per VDA records, in January 2015 the state government asked RITES to prepare a feasibility report and DPR.
In the initial DPR, RITES had proposed two Metro rail corridors in Varanasi by estimating time of completion of project by March 2023, and also the cost as over Rs 17,702 crore. The VDA paid about Rs 3 crore to RITES for preparing DPR. The state government approved it on June 8, 2016.
Later, the DPR was forwarded to the Union ministry of urban development on August 29, 2016 for its approval. However, the ministry raised questions on the commercial viability of the project, especially introduction of the service in old city areas.
After the formation of BJP government in UP, VDA had paid Rs 81 lakh to RITES for preparing the feasibility report of Metro rail service proposed in the city.
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