E Sreedharan to head Kochi Metro

KOCHI: Finally, the announcement has come. India's metro man E Sreedharan has been chosen to head the Kochi Metro rail project. Electricity minister Aryadan Mohammed said on Tuesday that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief would be given charge of the project and he would oversee the construction works.
The minister made the announcement after holding talks with Sreedharan in New Delhi.A team of ministers, including chief minister Oommen Chandy and senior officials held discussions with the DMRC chief.
Sreedharan had earlier expressed his willingness to render any service to the state. He is currently the managing director of DMRC. His tenure with Delhi Metro will end by December 31, 2011.
When asked about his suggestion for using Korean technology for the Metro project, Sreedharan said that the government had not taken a final call regarding the technology to be used for the project.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier overruled the objections raised by the Planning Commission to make Kochi Metro a reality. Chief minister Oommen Chandy had stated on Monday that the prime minister himself took up the issue during the discussions.
He said that Singh had informed him that the government had cleared the proposal for the metro project exactly on the lines of the state's demand. Kerala had been demanding that Kochi Metro should be implemented on the Chennai Metro model where the centre and the state will have an equal share.
The chief minister said that Sreedharan's expertise would be a great asset to the state. Further discussions would be held to decide whether the project should be implemented by DMRC or Kochi Metro Rail Limited.