Title - Govt to follow DMRC model for funding of Lucknow Metro

The Lucknow Metro rail moved ahead with the state government on Friday deciding to adopt the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's financial model to fund the project. Under this model, the Centre and the state government will share the cost in the ratio of 50:50. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 14,000 crore.The model had been proposed by the DMRC and suggested by the Union Ministry of Urban Development.The project had got struck in the previous Mayawati regime because the funding model could not be finalised then.In a meeting with a high-level committee formed to execute the metro rail project, Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani constituted a sub-committee to identify alternate sources to fund the project. The committee, formed under housing secretary Rajiv Aggarwal, will submit its report within a month.Usmani directed the officials to adopt The Metro Railways (Construction of Works) Act, 1978, as amended in 2009, and The Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002 for execution of the project and send a proposal to the Centre in this regard immediately.The government also decided to form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) — Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) — to execute the project. While principal secretaries of various departments like Housing, Urban Development, PWD, etc would be members in the SPV, the body would be headed by an official of the Central government and an UP government official would be managing director.Usmani asked the officials to first start work on the route of the north-south corridor that would connect Amausi airport to Munshipulia via Hussainganj, Hazratganj, Lucknow University, IT Crossing, Nishatganj, Polytechnic crossing. The corridor will cover 27 km.The length of the underground part of corridor, from Charbagh to the Hazratganj crossing, has been reduced to 3 km. Earlier, the DMRC had proposed a 7 km underground stretch, from Mavaiyya to Lucknow University. Officials said reduction in the underground portion will cut the project cost by Rs 1,000 crore.Making a change in the alignment of corridor, the government has decided to develop the metro depot on the land where the 32nd battalion of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) is stationed on the Kanpur Road. "An alternative piece of land would be given to PAC to relocate its office," said an official. The depot was earlier proposed near Amausi airport.

The Chief Secretary directed to re-examine the Gomti Nagar link that was proposed to connect Hazaratganj with Patrakarpuram crossing. "Re-examination is required as there is dense residential areas on both sides of the road," an official said.

The development of 13-km long east-west corridor connecting Charbagh with Hardoi road (13 km) will start later.

Following the ongoing development on the city's outskirts, Usmani also directed the officials to get a techno-feasibility study conducted for development of a ring metro line around the city. The ring metro line would be 42 km long and cover Shaheed Path, Faizabad Road, Ring Road, Sitapur road — all national highways.