Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh cabinet, headed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, approved the revised detailed project report and the funding pattern, which is to be shared by different UP agencies, for the 9.41 kilometre Ghaziabad metro project.
The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting held in Lucknow and the revised detailed project report (DPR), estimating the cost of the project Rs2,210 crore, was approved, the official spokesperson for the UP government said. The previous cost of the project was Rs1,770 crore (as estimated in 2012) and was revised by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in 2014.
The approval of the revised DPR was pending since the tenure of the previous government, under then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. A proposal was sent in January 2016 by then vice-chairman of the Ghaziabad Development Authority to the UP government for clearance.
The approval of the revised DPR will now pave the way for a grant of Rs402.4 crore from the Government of India. The DMRC will provide Rs328 crore for the project, officials said.
Further, the cabinet also approved the funding pattern and funds sharing for the project. The funding pattern was already decided at the state level and state agencies were to share the cost of the project.
As per the approval, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) will pitch in Rs695.8 crore and the Ghaziabad municipal corporation will contribute Rs 246.35 crore. Of the two Ghaziabad agencies, GDA has already paid its share.
Besides the two agencies, UP Avas Vikas Parishad and UP state industrial development corporation are expected to contribute Rs 440.45 crore and Rs 97 crore, respectively.
In a state-level meeting held last week in Lucknow, officials had asked the agencies to provide funds for the metro project. Officials said that the issue was pending for long and the agencies had reservations about their contribution.
UP principal secretary Mukul Singhal had also visited Ghaziabad on August 25 and said that the approval of the revised cost, DPR and the funding pattern was pending since. Following the visit, an appraisal of the project was taken up and sent for clearance to DMRC.
The 9.41km metro extension is coming up on an elevated corridor from Dilshad Garden in Delhi to New Bus Stand in Ghaziabad. In Ghaziabad, the officials have decided to construct eight stations — at Shaheed Nagar, Raj Bagh, Rajendra Nagar, Shyam Park, Mohan Nagar, Arthala, river Hindon and New Bus Stand.
