Home Blog Page 877

Delhi Metro | DMRC proposes hike in min fare 15 and max 70 to union ministry

Narendra Shah
-
0
Delhi Metro | DMRC proposes hike in min fare 15 and max 70 to union ministry

New Delhi: Commuting by Metro in the National Capital Region is set to get more costlier. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has proposed to hike the fares across the routes to take care of it ever increasing expenses.

The fare fixation committee of the city’s metro body has recommended to raise the minimum fare of Rs 8 to Rs 15 and the maximum fare of Rs 30 may be hiked to Rs 70.

Considering its increasing operating expenses and the outgo on the repayment of the Japanese loan, the fare hike has turned imminent. Delhi metro saw the last fare hike in 2009.

As per media report, the fare fixation committee of the metro body is likely to submit its recommendations to the government in the next two months.

New Metro Project | NCRPB approves 3 RRTS corridors, metro projects loan repayment

Narendra Shah
-
0
New Metro Project | NCRPB approves 3 RRTS corridors, metro projects loan repayment

New Delhi: The National Capital Region Planning Board (NCPRB) on June 15 decided to increase loan repayment tenure from 10 to 20 years for metro and rail-based projects, reduced interest rates for infrastructure projects by 0.

5 percent and gave nod for implementation of three RRTS Corridors – Delhi-Alwar, Delhi-Panipat and Delhi-Meerut.

The 36th meeting of the NCRPB held under the chairmanship of Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, also asked participating states to prepare the sub-regional plans for newly added districts within three months time for which 100 percent funding will be provided by the Board.

The Board also directed the NCR states to resolve the inter-state connectivity issues at the earliest, which would help in decongestion of roads leading to Delhi from adjoining states.

“As metro projects are very capital intensive and have long gestation period, it needs support from financial institutions to make them viable.

“First step in this direction is announcement of increase in the loan repayment period from 10 years to 20 years including moratorium period of 5 years for repayment of principal for all existing and new metro/ rail-based projects with financial assistance from NCRPB,” Naidu said while addressing the meeting.

To provide a push for infrastructure development, the interest rates on funding from NCRPB was reduced from 7.50 percent to 7 percent for priority sector projects, while it was reduced for land development projects from 9.25 percent to 8.50 percent.

The priority sector projects include water supply, sewerage, solid waste management, drainage, metro/rapid rail, road, expressways, affordable housing, whereas the land development projects include residential and industrial projects, commercial and office buildings and social infrastructure.

Naidu said issues related to Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), a rail-based system, have been resolved and further work on these three corridors, namely, Delhi-Alwar, Delhi-Panipat and Delhi-Meerut could be started immediately.

Delhi Metro | Train fare revison panel seeks lessons from abroad

Narendra Shah
-
0
Delhi Metro | Train fare revison panel seeks lessons from abroad

New Delhi: A government-appointed panel to suggest fare revision in Delhi Metro recently sent a proposal to the urban development ministry to visit Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo to learn how the Metro rail systems in these cities go about revising their fares.

Though the ministry is yet to decide on the proposal, Panel chief Justice M L Mehta said it would first examine various presentations on Metro rail systems. “No decision has been taken yet. We may reconsider the proposal to visit any of the cities. We have taken presentations of many of the Metro rail systems. Once we go through all of them, there may not be need to visit any city abroad,” Justice Mehta told TOI.

He said the earlier panel set up in 2009 for the same purpose had visited these cities. Sources said the present fourth Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) may have followed the earlier practice to make such a suggestion.

The other two members in the committee are urban development ministry additional secretary Durga Shanker Mishra and Delhi chief secretary K K Sharma. Justice Mehta said the committee will complete the task in less than three months, the time given to them for fare revision. “We have held three meetings. Our report will be submitted to the government as soon as we are through,” he added.

Fares were last revised in 2009 when the minimum fare was raised from Rs 6 to Rs 8, while the maximum fare was hiked to Rs 30 from Rs 22.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has demanded that fares be hiked in view of increase in electricity tariff. According to data provided by the ministry, DMRC registered a net loss before tax of Rs 275.46 crore in 2014-15, a huge increase of 353 per cent from Rs 60.74 crore in 2013-14.

Source: TOI

Vijayawada Metro | Metro rail project may hit fund problem

Narendra Shah
-
1
Vijayawada Metro | Metro rail project may hit fund problem

Vijayawada: The Vijayawada Metro Rail Project is facing starting problem due to lack of funds.

DMRC Principal Advisor, E. Sridharan also expressed his displeasure over delay in funds release at a meeting with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu two days ago and is learnt to have reminded him about the deadline of 2018 for completion of the project. Now it seems difficult to complete the project as per deadline.

Initially an amount of Rs 800 crore is required to pay the land owners under the land acquisition scheme, but the Centre has allocated on;y Rs 100 crore for the project in the last Budget. Though the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is ready to fund the project but Rs 1,000 crore is needed for land acquisition and other works to begin the project. The state government too has not released any funds for the project so far.

The state government has completed all the necessary works and the Centre has also given nod to this project. Nearly Rs 6,000 crore is required for the project but the JICA formally accepted to provide funds only up to 60 per cent. The remaining funds should be allotted by the state and central governments equally. The JICA will release its share of funds at project works execution stage only.

Actually, Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation has requested the state government to release funds for land acquisition process. As per the preliminary estimations, nearly 75 acres of land is required for establishing metro stations and metro depot on the city outskirts. The funds release is important at present to begin the works.

One senior official, on condition of anonymity, said that nearly Rs 1,000 crore is needed for land acquisition process. The state government assured to release Rs 150 crore three months ago. But the project execution is totally dependent upon funds release, he added.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

Nagpur Metro | NMRC appoints General Consultants for metro rail project

Narendra Shah
-
0
Nagpur Metro | NMRC appoints General Consultants for metro rail project

Nagpur: A Franco-Indian consortium led by Systra and including Aecom, Egis Rail and Rites has been appointed general consultant for the first phase of the Nagpur Metro Rail Project.

The first phase, which was approved by the Center in August 2014, comprises two lines totalling 38.2km. The north-south line will be 19.6km long with 17 stations, of which 15 will be elevated. It will connect Kamptee, with Nagpur’s existing international airport and Wardha. The line will also serve the new Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport currently under construction, which is the largest project of its kind currently underway in India.The 18.6km east-west line will run from Bhandara via the central station and university to Hingna, and will have 19 stations all of which will be elevated. The two lines will intersect at Sitaburdi.

The total cost of the metro project was estimated at Rs 86.8bn ($US 1.3bn) in 2014, with the Indian government providing Rs 15.6bn in the form of equity and subordinate debt. The project will be implemented by Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation, a 50:50 partnership between the state of Maharashtra and the Indian government.

Nagpur is India’s 13th-largest city with a population of 2.2 million and claims to be the second cleanest and greenest city in India, a reputation it is keen to maintain.

Chennai Metro | CM Jayalalithaa urgs speedy clearance for Chennai metro rail phase-2

Narendra Shah
-
0

Chennai: Chief Minister, J. Jayalalithaa has urged Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to expedite clearance for Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) phase II and phase I extension by taking up the matter with finance and urban planning departments.

The Phase I Extension from Washermanpet to Tiruvottriyur, a further 9.51 km at a cost of Rs.3,770 crore, has been recently approved by the Centre. There is a need to substantially expand Metro Rail network in Chennai to improve public transportation.

The Chief Minister also requested the Prime Minister to support the integration of  CMRL with Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS), a project implemented by  railways, as the state government has substantially funded MRTS.

According to her, such an integration would enable effective synergies between various modes of public transport and increase share of public transport. She also brought to Modi’s notice that CMRL has taken railway lands on long lease basis for Metro Rail Project on payment of 99 per cent of market value for 35 years extendable by 35 years. In spite of payment of 99% of land value, railways have retained the surface rights, which, she said, was unfair.

She urged him to take a policy decision in the matter.

If railways need the surface rights, then they should charge only nominal/token lease rent for the land.  Alternatively, full rights including surface rights should be given to CMRL by transferring the land valued at full market value as Central Government’s equity contribution to the project.

Delhi Metro | CBI arrests senior DMRC official in corruption case

Narendra Shah
-
0
Delhi Metro | CBI arrests senior DMRC official in corruption case

New Delhi: A senior Delhi Metro Rail Corporation official has been arrested by the CBI for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a complainant for issuance of allotment letters for two shops at Badarpur metro station here.

The accused, identified as Praveen Kumar, is posted as Manager, Property Business-I, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Metro Bhawan, in the national capital, a CBI spokesperson said today.

Kumar had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000 from the complainant for releasing the allotment letters, he said.

“CBI laid a trap and caught the manager red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant. Searches were conducted at the residential premise of the accused,” the spokesperson said in a press release.

Source: PTI

Delhi Metro | Proposal to extend the Blue line from Noida Sec 62 to Indirapuram is underway

Narendra Shah
-
0
Delhi Metro | Proposal to extend the Blue line from Noida Sec 62 to Indirapuram is underway

Ghaziabad: The proposal to extend the Blue line from Sector 62 in Noida to Indirapuram has run into a wall.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has refused to make changes in its design for the widening of NH-24 to accommodate this Metro project. The NHAI’s approval is needed since the Blue line has to cross NH-24 to reach Indirapuram.

Extending the Blue line to Indirapuram was a late decision by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA), which asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to prepare a feasibility report. Work is currently under way on the original extension plan to take the Blue line from Noida Wave City Centre to Sector 62.

In a board meeting earlier this year, the GDA passed a proposal to bring the Metro to Indirapuram, which is currently fed by the Blue line at Vaishali. It also agreed to bear the cost, with a station planned near the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) camp.

“There was a meeting of the GDA, NHAI, DMRC and NCR planning board officials recently and the issue cropped up then,” said S C Diwedi, chief engineer, GDA.

“The NHAI has put its foot down and it was conveyed to us in the meeting that it would not make any amendments in the design project for NH-24 broadening from UP Gate to Dasna to facilitate extension of Noida’s Sector 62 Metro line to Indirapuram,” Diwedi said.

According to the NHAI plan, there is a proposal to construct a flyover on NH-24 bordering Indirapuram on one side and Noida’s Sector 62, on the other.

When contacted, NHAI official Ravinder Kumar said, “The GDA should ideally have taken an NOC from the NHAI before conceiving the extension project which it did not and, as we know, the work for broadening of NH-24 from UP Gate and Dasna has already taken off, making it very difficult to change it at this stage.”

Extending the Blue line to Indirapuram was a late decision by the GDA.

Work is currently under way on the original extension plan to take the Blue line from Noida Wave City Centre to Sector 62. (Source: TOI)

Delhi Metro | DMRC to pay Rs 1 annual rent for land to DDA

Narendra Shah
-
0
Delhi Metro | DMRC to pay Rs 1 annual rent for land to DDA

New Delhi: In what will come as a big relief for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for property development to generate revenue , the urban development ministry has decided to direct Delhi Development Authority ( DDA ) to charge land rent at only Re 1 per annum. This rate will be applicable for 99 years’ lease.

 The decision was taken by the UD ministry last week after several rounds of deliberations. DMRC had said DDA, in its land allotment letters, was mentioning that the corporation needed to pay 2.5% of the land premium, which is substantial.
Sources said the ministry went through the details of Cabinet decisions of September 1996 when it was decided that “land taken over or acquired for Metro rail project would be made over to the DMRC on 99 years’ lease at a nominal rent of Re 1 per annum”.

Officials said DDA has been raising higher rent demand since land under its possession is governed under Nazul norms (rules dealing with government land in Delhi).

Delhi Metro | Kejriwal briefed on DMRC’s phase-IV metro rail project

Narendra Shah
-
1
Delhi Metro | Kejriwal briefed on DMRC’s phase-IV metro rail project

New Delhi: A team of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) today made a presentation on proposed fourth phase of Metro before Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal whose government has given in-principle approval for the construction of the project.”The presentation on the proposed fourth phase of Metro was made to the Delhi Chief Minister at Delhi Secretariat here.

“Some changes on the routes of metro line have been proposed by the government following some MLAs demands. However, the CM will soon take a final decision in this regard,” an official said.

In February this year, PWD Minister Satyendar Jain had said that AAP government had given in-principle approval for construction of Metro Phase IV.

DMRC has set 2021 as deadline for the phase IV expansion, which would add 75 stations to the metro network. A total of 31.47 kilometres of new lines will be underground while 64.39 km will be elevated.

During the presentation today, Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai, Satyendar Jain and DMRC chief Mangu Singh were present among others in the meeting.

Source: PTI

1...876877878...947Page 877 of 947