The government has finalised a plan to augment and launch mass rapid transportation systems across 50 cities to minimise commuter woes and ease pollution concerns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already cleared a proposal put up by the Ministry of Urban Development, estimated to cost Rs 500,000 crore over the next four to six years. The Union Government plans to share the cost of implementing the project with the respective state governments through special purpose vehicles. An official in the Prime Minister´s office, who is not permitted to identify himself, said that prospective partners from South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, France, Russia, and Canada have evinced interest in participating in the project. ¨Every metro rail system would be very important, given our plan to build 100 smart cities and ensure environmentally sustainable transportation facilities,¨ the official said.
Modi is learnt to have specially discussed the Metro rail projects with CEOs of top Chinese companies in Shanghai and Korean firms in Seoul during his recent visit to both the countries.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.