Question : METRO RAIL IN LUDHINA

(a) whether the Planning Commission has given a go-ahead for the construction of Metro Rail in Ludhiana;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the details of all non-metropolitan cities which have received go-ahead from the Planning Commission for construction of metro rail;

(d) whether these projects will be executed through 50:50 joint ventures set up by the Centre and the respective State or whether any other model of funding is being proposed;

(e) if so, the reasons for changing the funding model;

(f) whether the Eleventh Plan does not have any allocation for metro projects; and

(g) if so, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. ASHWANI KUMAR)

(a): A Project Report for construction of Ludhiana Metro Rail Project of 28.95 km length with the total project cost of Rs. 8,705 cr has been prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. However, no proposal for in-principle approval of the project has been received in the Planning Commission. During discussion of Annual Plan 2011-12 between Planning Commission and the Government of Punjab, Planning Commission has offered advisory support to take up the project under Public Private Partnership mode.

(b): Question does not arise.

(c): In June, 2009 Planning Commission has given in-principle approval of the proposal to construct metro rail in Kochi city in Kerala covering about 25.6 km. metro rail network. Apart from this, Planning Commission has also given its approval for the extension of Delhi Metro to Gurgaon (Ambedkar Nagar, Delhi to Shushant Lok, Gurgaon), extension of Delhi Metro to NOIDA (New Ashok Nagar, Delhi to Sector 32, NOIDA), extension of Delhi Metro to Vaishali, Ghaziabad and extension of Delhi Metro to YMCA Faridabad.

(d): All the extension projects of Delhi Metro as mentioned in answer to the part ‘C’ have been taken up by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) which is a 50:50 joint venture set up by the Centre and the Delhi State Government. The funding to these extension projects has been mainly the grants from Centre and the concerned State Government. So far as Kochi Metro in Kerala is concerned, Planning Commission has recommended setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) by the State Government for implementing the project and the Government of India may provide Viability Gap Funding (VGF). It has also been recommended that the rolling stock may be done on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis while the construction and maintenance of lines may be done by SPV.

(e): Neither it is possible nor feasible for the Central Government to supervise the construction and monitoring of all the metro rail projects particularly for the non metropolitan cities.

(f): Eleventh Five Year Plan has an allocation of Rs. 3303 crores for metro rail projects.

(g): Question does not arise.