PATNA: Bihar urban development and housing department (UDHD) minister
Maheshwar Hazari
met senior officials of the Union ministry in Delhi on Friday to seek in-principle approval of the
Patna metro
rail project.
Hazari said the state government has completed all the formalities for metro rail project and the Centre should approve it without any further delay. “We have completed all the paper works sought by the Centre on Patna metro project. We now expect its in-principle approval. Many other states, which had submitted proposals much later than us, have got the urban development ministry nod. Hence, there should be no further delay in sanctioning Patna metro project,” Hazari told TOI over phone from Delhi.
UDHD officials said a report on quick mobility assessment of vehicular traffic in Patna was submitted to the Union ministry in December last year. According to sources, a comprehensive mobility plan for Patna was prepared in 2010-11, but the Centre had asked the state government to revise it in the light of the proposed metro rail project.
“Centre had raised a few queries on the proposed metro project of Patna following submission of the quick mobility report. We have replied to the queries and complied with all the necessary prerequisites for the project. The ball is now in the Centre’s court,” said a senior UDHD official.
The detailed project report for the proposed metro rail was given in-principle approval by CM
Nitish Kumar on December 22 last year. The state cabinet approved it on February 9 this year. The metro rail proposes two corridors in the first phase covering a 31km.
The east-west corridor is proposed to run from Mithapur Bus Stand to
Saguna Mor
via Bailey Road and Patna Junction, covering a distance of 14.5km. The second one is a north-south corridor from
Patna Junction
to the proposed bus stand at Bairiya on Patna-Gaya Road via Ashok Rajpath, Gandhi Maidan and Rajendra Nagar Terminal, covering a distance of 16.5km.
UDHD officials said actual construction works would not start before the end of this year, even if the Centre gives its timely approval. “Two months have already passed from submission of quick mobility report to the Centre. Following the approvals, the bidding process would take another six months, followed by another few months for awarding contracts and mobilization of equipment,” UDHD officials said.
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