Lucknow a fit case for Metro Rail, says Mittal

HOURS AFTER Union Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy gave the go ahead for Metro Rail projects in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, commissioner, Lucknow division, RK Mittal indicated that Lucknow too might have its own Metro Rail.

Lucknow has been included in the cities selected under the Government of India’s National Urban Renewal Mission. Mittal, who met the MD of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), E Sridharan, recently said there was a possibility that Lucknow too may have it.

He said a City Development Plan (CDP) was likely to be drafted in two months time in consultation with experts (consultants) and Metro Rail project would be included in it.

“We are going to carry out a feasibility study about the project soon after the city’s development plan is put in place,” Mittal told HT.

Talking about his meeting with MD of DMRC, Mittal said, “Sridharan told me that any city with a population of over 2 million should be considered for having a Metro Rail. So, I think that if all goes well, Lucknow too may have one in about 10 years time,” he added. Asked why it would take so long, Mittal said, “Delhi took about 25 years to put its Metro Rail plan into place. There is lot of planning that goes behind the ambitious project. So, if we start now, we would take another 10 years,” Mittal added.

Mittal further said that a “parking project” comprising multi-layered parking slots too would be incorporated in the development plan of the city to tide over the parking crisis.

However, in his inaugural address at ‘Cityscapes 2006’, a meet on Urban infrasturcture reforms with public-private linkages, being organised by the FICCI in New Delhi, Jaipal Reddy said metro rail projects in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Banglore can take off immediately.

Reddy said the nature of gauge to be adopted in the metro rail projects had been given to state governments. The project proposals were pending following the stand of Indian Railways that broad gauge should be adopted for Metro Rail projects while many state governments were preferring standard gauge.

The Centre has also cleared National Urban Transport Policy with a focus on “shifting the emphasis from personal transport to public transport,” he said.

Referring to Rs 50,000 crore Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission launched in December last, Reddy said the state-governments should come forward with urban governance and services sector reforms linked with the project.

Less-developed states in the country should try to get more benefit from the project than the developed states, Reddy said.