The Hindu Business Line : Metro rail for Hyderabad on the anvil

IF all goes well, the twin cities would have metro rail in the next five years at an estimated cost of Rs 4,392 crore, said Mr Konathala Ramakrishna and Mr Koneru Ranga Rao, State Ministers.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, they said a team from Malaysia will be visiting the city soon in this regard. Unlike the multi-modal transport systemused in the existing railway tracks, the metro rail line would be laid on elevated platforms on city roads. Each pillar will occupy just 0.8 metres, without making additional demand on space.

This line will cover high-density traffic areas such as Erragadda, Sanjeevareddy Nagar, Punjagutta, Assembly, Secretariat, Gandhi Bhavan, Osmania Medical College, Malakpet, Dilsukhnagar, Chikkadapalli and Ramnagar. Each train will have three coaches.

Speaking on the salient features of the project, Mr E. Sreedharan, Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), said the first phase would cover 38 km, connecting Miyapur and Chaitanyapuri (25.57 km) and Secunderabad and Falaknuma.

The DMRC had prepared a project report and submitted it to the State Government in 2003.

Mr Sreedharan, who was in the city to take part in a high-level meeting on the metro rail issue, said a special company will be formed on the lines of DMRC. The shares of the company would be held by the State and Central Governments equally.

The Government convened the meeting keeping in view the allocation of Rs 600 crore by the Planning Commission for financing metro rail projects in cities that housed 50 lakh or more population.

"Bangalore and Mumbai have already made their claims. Hyderabad could easily hope for Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore this year," he said.

But the Government needs to move fast and approach the Union Ministry of Urban Development.

"There are two options to complete the project. The two Governments could chip in 20 per cent each, while tapping the markets to raise the remaining amount," he said.

This would call for investments of Rs 878 crore from the State in five years. Financial institutions like ADB could be tapped to raise Rs 2,192 crore, he said. Alternatively, the project could be taken up through the BOT route. "The private party would construct and run the project for 30 years. Thereafter, it would belong to the Government," he said.

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