The Central government on Wednesday stated that despite requests, the erstwhile TDP government in the State did not submit the revised proposals for the metro rail projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. Responding to an unstarred question by YSRCP member V. Vijaya Sai Reddy in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said the proposals of rail-based Mass Rapid Transit System for Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada submitted by the State government in December 2015 and June 2015 respectively had been returned in September 2017 with a request to review and revise them in line with the Metro Rail Policy of 2017. Mr. Puri said: “The Government of Andhra Pradesh has not submitted the revised proposals.”
The Minister also informed that the Centre had approved the metro rail projects for Bhopal (27.87 km) and Indore (31.55 km) at an estimated cost of ₹6,941.40 crore and ₹7,500 crore respectively in November 2018.
The share of the Government of India in the form of equity, subordinate debt and pass through assistance was ₹4,657.78 crore for Bhopal and ₹4,476.36 crore for Indore, he said.
Pipeline blast
Replying to question raised by Mr. Reddy on the condition of the survivors of GAIL pipeline blast at Nagaram in Konaseema region in 2014, Union Minister for Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan said GAIL had provided best treatment for them.
The Minister said that out of 17 survivors, 14 had been discharged after treatment at Apollo, Kakinada. He said GAIL was taking care of the medical requirement of the other survivors as and when required. He also gave a list of the CSR and other activities being taken up by GAIL in the area.
