Awaiting the nod

KOCHI: A day after Chief Minister Oommen Chandy launched the Metro rail related projects giving fresh hopes for kicking off the much-hyped Metro Rail Project, apprehensions still prevail over the ‘Metro dream’ as the Centre is yet to give clearance for the project. The Kochi Metro Rail project for which the detailed project report (DPR) was prepared in 2005 is yet to get clearance from the Union Government. As per the detailed project report, the cost for executing the project was estimated at Rs 1,964 crore. The six-year delay has also forced the authorities to revise the budget to Rs 4,427 crore. “If the project were given clearance in 2005, it would have been completed by 2010. The delay will further increase the estimated cost. And a wait for more than six years for a project that was backed by an efficient officer like E Sreedharan is really embarrassing.,” said P Rajeev MP. Rajeev told ‘City Express’ said that the state government had given the administrative sanction for land acquisition for the project in 2007. “The LDF government had allotted ` 156 crore for the first phase of the project. If the work was carried out as per the original plan, the Metro Rail would have been  commissioned in 2010. Even the Planning Commission had given in principle nod for the project. But later the Union Finance Ministry rejected the proposal,” he said.  That there was any political interest behind the rejection of the proposal is hard to believe, he said. Earlier, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Managing Director E Sreedharan reiterated here that if sanctioned  he was confident of completing the project in four years’ time. he proposed Metro rail will have 23 stops between Aluva and Pettah. The project is expected to ease the travel woes of the city. The fare charges is fixed between Rs 12 and Rs 30. With the launch of the Metro-rail related projects, the city is now looking forward to the nod from the Centre.