The Cabinet has given administrative sanction for the second stage of the Kochi Metro Rail project.
The second stage will branch off from Jawharlal Nehru Stadium to Infopark via Kakkanad and has an estimated outlay of ₹2,577 crore. The KMRL will take up the project independent of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which is leading the work in the Phase I of the project.
The Cabinet clearance for the project had been much awaited, said a KMRL spokesperson. As a preparatory work to the land acquisition, the KMRL had already initiated a requisition for survey on the route from the stadium to Infopark.
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The Cabinet nod for the project would expedite the basic study as land acquisition remains one of the most time- consuming procedures.
French development agency Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) had expressed interest in supporting the KMRL proposal for Phase II with a total loan of ₹2,161 crore.