UP Govt approval for Metro to Gzb
The Uttar Pradesh government has in principle approved the Ghaziabad Development Authority’s (GDA) plan to take the metro the whole 9.1 kilometres from Delhi’s Dilshad Garden to the New Bus Terminal in Ghaziabad.
This is being seen largely as a result of the persistence of some top GDA and district administration officials in pushing the Metro’s case, on the proposed Dilshad Garden-New Bus Terminal route, in front of the UP government. But the biggest hurdle that still lies in the way of the project is the issue of how it will be financed.
According to GDA vice-chairman Narinder Chowdhary, the project has long been regarded as very important to the development of Ghaziabad, and to the de-congestion of its roads. A detailed project report was, in fact, prepared in 2005, at a cost of Rs 48 lakh.
A fresh project report will now have to be prepared. The original report put the cost of the project at Rs 960 crore. If a fresh detailed report is prepared now, it is expected that the cost of the project could increase by about 15 per cent over that of 2005.
Chowdhary said that one of the immediate means of financing the project the GDA is looking at, is taking a loan for the total amount from the National Capital Region Planning Board. And, then, it would be decided how to repay the loan. Said Chowdhary, ‘‘One of the ways we have been looking at is levying a cess on GDA land and on building activity.
“But since the GDA is not empowered to impose such a cess, we have sought the government’s permission, and are awaiting a reply. Among other possible ways of financing the metro project, we are also considering an increase in betterment charges and development charges. The housing board, the municipal corporation and the state industrial development corporation are also being sounded out.”
Meanwhile, it is unlikely that the metro line from Delhi’s Anand Vihar to Vaishali, here, will be completed before the Commonwealth Games. Saying the project may well take up to late November, GDA secretary Narinder Singh said that a power corporation sub-station lies along the planned route.
‘‘And while we have already paid the corporation the money to shift it, the work has to be carried out by the corporation itself. Still, we are trying to coordinate things to minimize delay,” Singh added.
Source: Times Of India By Lalit Kumar
This is being seen largely as a result of the persistence of some top GDA and district administration officials in pushing the Metro’s case, on the proposed Dilshad Garden-New Bus Terminal route, in front of the UP government. But the biggest hurdle that still lies in the way of the project is the issue of how it will be financed.
According to GDA vice-chairman Narinder Chowdhary, the project has long been regarded as very important to the development of Ghaziabad, and to the de-congestion of its roads. A detailed project report was, in fact, prepared in 2005, at a cost of Rs 48 lakh.
A fresh project report will now have to be prepared. The original report put the cost of the project at Rs 960 crore. If a fresh detailed report is prepared now, it is expected that the cost of the project could increase by about 15 per cent over that of 2005.
Chowdhary said that one of the immediate means of financing the project the GDA is looking at, is taking a loan for the total amount from the National Capital Region Planning Board. And, then, it would be decided how to repay the loan. Said Chowdhary, ‘‘One of the ways we have been looking at is levying a cess on GDA land and on building activity.
“But since the GDA is not empowered to impose such a cess, we have sought the government’s permission, and are awaiting a reply. Among other possible ways of financing the metro project, we are also considering an increase in betterment charges and development charges. The housing board, the municipal corporation and the state industrial development corporation are also being sounded out.”
Meanwhile, it is unlikely that the metro line from Delhi’s Anand Vihar to Vaishali, here, will be completed before the Commonwealth Games. Saying the project may well take up to late November, GDA secretary Narinder Singh said that a power corporation sub-station lies along the planned route.
‘‘And while we have already paid the corporation the money to shift it, the work has to be carried out by the corporation itself. Still, we are trying to coordinate things to minimize delay,” Singh added.
Source: Times Of India By Lalit Kumar