Reiterating yet again that the Rs.6,728-crore Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode Light Metro rail projects will be executed (by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) on the lines of the Kochi metro rail project, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Thursday that specifics of the twin projects would be added in the letter sent to the Centre.
He was speaking at the Cochin International Airport here after a meeting to review the Kochi metro project and the way ahead for the Light Metro in the other two cities. Against the backdrop of allegations that key officials and decision-makers in the State were trying to keep the DMRC away from the Light Metro project, Principal Adviser of the agency E. Sreedharan had expressed concern over the ambiguity in communications sent by the State government to the Centre seeking sanction and funds.
Referring to Thursday’s discussions with Mr. Sreedharan, Mr. Chandy said, “We assured him that obstacles in implementing the Light Metro will be removed so that the projects can be completed in a time-bound manner. Mr. Sreedharan sought inclusion of a few specific details (such as the executing agency) in the letter sent to the Centre. The forthcoming Cabinet will decide on this.” “The outcome of Thursday’s meeting is that the Light Metro will be implemented by the DMRC on a turnkey basis as is being done for the Kochi metro,” sources in the agency said.
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Thursday’s developments are critical since there were reports of key officials and people’s representatives in Kerala trying to rope in private players for implementing the Light Metro.