The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will continue work on the construction of the Salim Rajan Road overbridge and the widening of the North overbridge in the city, despite differences of opinion with the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) on the implementation of the Kochi metro rail project.
However, the DMRC has written to the KMRL stating that it was willing to hand over to the KMRL the works to widen the Town Hall-Madhava Pharmacy Junction stretch on Banerjee Road, MG Road and Jos Junction-South Railway Station Road. “The DMRC would associate with the metro rail project as long as its former MD, E. Sreedharan, is at the helm,” said sources in the agency.
Denying news reports that the DMRC was a commercial agency, they said that it was constituted by the Central government. Contrary to allegations, the DMRC was able to raise loans from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Delhi metro rail project, despite the DMRC being the consultants and executing agency. “We do not need to unduly lobby for the Kochi project which is just 25 km since 190 km of metro lines are operating in Delhi,” sources said. Work is currently on for phase three of the Delhi metro rail.
On the KMRL expressing the confidence to execute the project on its own, they said that this would further delay the project. “This is because they would have to appoint a fresh consultant for providing technical help and also train a team of experts. The DMRC already has experts trained abroad who emphasise on quality and speed.”
Highly-placed sources in the State government said that the project could be executed for a lesser fee than that demanded by the DMRC. “Moreover, the DMRC is mooting ‘unproven' magnetic levitation technology for the Kochi project. The project can be completed in four years time even in the absence of the DMRC.”
On the DMRC's stand that the KMRL was constituted following its demand to the Chief Minister a few months ago, they said that it was formed based on Central norms.
