The government plans to take Principal Advisor to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) E. Sreedharan into confidence while appointing Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) as a consultant for the elevated Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) for Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.
A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at his chamber in the Assembly on Monday, decided to take Mr. Sreedharan into confidence while going ahead with the decision of the Kerala Monorail Corporation Ltd. (KMCL) board to appoint the KMRL, sources said.
Mr. Sreedharan, who is also the State Planning Board Member in-charge of Transport, was reportedly upset over the decision taken in his absence and without knowledge by the KMCL board chaired by the Chief Minister.
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The DMRC, which prepared the Detailed Project Report for the MRTS projects, is the general consultant. Doubts had also been raised on the technical expertise of the KMRL as the DMRC led by Mr. Sreedharan was behind the planning, execution, and supervision of the flagship Kochi Metro.
While giving the nod for the proposal, the KMCL board had also decided to give Rs.69.76 crore as consultancy fee, 1.5 per cent of the estimated Rs.5,581 crore, completion cost, to the KMRL. The role envisaged for the KMRL was entirely different from the one assigned to the DMRC, the sources said.
The decision to appoint the KMRL as consultant had raised apprehension as the tender process was on and the technical bid was being evaluated by the DMRC.
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A government order on the basis of the KMCL board meeting was yet to be issued.