Bihar to have metro rail services soon

Bihar will soon have Metro Rail services with the government giving the green signal for introducing the public conveyance on two routes in state capital Patna.

"In the first phase, Metro Rail services would be provided between Patna and Danapur and in the second between Patna Junction and Digha, both distances of 20 km each," Minister for Urban Development Prem Kumar told PTI here.

Officials from the state met Ganjendra Haldiya, the adviser to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi on September 14, where the nod was given to start work for the around Rs 8,000-crore project, Kumar said.

"We want to start the Metro Rail service at the earliest for better transport facilities in the fast-developing capital of Bihar. The project is planned in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model," the minister said.

"It is just beginning of the exercise ... we will try to complete the project on the two routes at the earliest," he said, while declining to specify a time frame.

Kumar also evaded a direct reply when asked whether any agency has been engaged for the Detailed Project Report on it.

"The matter relating to assigning the job of preparation of the DPR to an agency will go the State Cabinet for a decision," he said.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is keen to give Patna Metro Rail services similar to New Delhi, has given his consent to the proposal.

Official sources said the Urban Development Department was preparing the request for proposal (RPF), which was likely to be placed before the State Cabinet next week.

Principal Secretary of Planning Department, Vijay Prakash said the feasibility report would be prepared withing six months.

The Centre would provide 20 per cent of the cost as Viability Gap Fund amounting to Rs 1,600 crore while the state government would spend a similar sum depending upon the final estimate of the project, they said.

The remaining amount would be borne by the private company involved in the construction of the Metro Rail.

"We are also thinking of allowing the private company to let out the kiosks at Metro stations. This would minimise the cost component of the state government," the sources said.

The government also plans to construct a third Metro line from Patna Junction to Digha Ghat passing through the heart of city.

The route would serve as a transit for passengers wishing to change trains for north Bihar and other destinations when the Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge over the Ganga is commissioned in 2012.

Earlier, the Technical Expert Committee of the Railways had suggested providing Metro services to cities with a population of over 20 lakh.

The Centre recently approved plans for Metro Rail projects for cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Kochi.