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Government cagey on Metro cost overrun
IT and MA&UD Minster K T Rama Rao on Monday said the State government had not committed to bear the cost overrun of the Hyderabad Metro, whose first phase would be inaugurated later this month. Hyderabad Metro Rail would create a record when it becomes operational on a 30-km route in the first phase from November 28, the Minister said. He informed the State Legislative Assembly that Larsen & Toubr
Hyderabad: IT and MA&UD Minster K T Rama Rao on Monday said the State government had not committed to bear the cost overrun of the Hyderabad Metro, whose first phase would be inaugurated later this month. Hyderabad Metro Rail would create a record when it becomes operational on a 30-km route in the first phase from November 28, the Minister said. He informed the State Legislative Assembly that Larsen & Toubro (L&T), which is developing the project, in its correspondence with the State government mentioned about the cost overrun.
He, however, said the government had not yet confirmed cost escalation or committed itself to bear the additional expenditure. Billed as the world’s biggest metro rail project in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, it was taken up in 2012 at a cost of Rs 14,132 crore.
The Minister did not give any figure, but the revised project cost is estimated to be nearly Rs 19,000 crore. L&T has reportedly sought additional amount of Rs 3,756 crore from the State government.
The original construction period for the 71.16 km elevated metro ended in July this year but the project could not be completed due to various reasons and the developer was granted 17-month extension.
The entire project, barring 5 km stretch in the Old City and about 1 km stretch between Hi-Tec city and Raidurg, is now likely to be completed by the end of 2018. The Minister said that the State government had allocated Rs 3,000 crore for land acquisition, shifting of utilities and other works relating the project and out of this Rs 2,240 crore was already spent.
The Centre is providing Rs 1,458 crore towards Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and out of this, it has already released Rs 958 crore. The first phase of 30-km route is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 28.
“We are yet to receive confirmation from the Prime Minister’s Office, but it is expected any moment,” said the Minister. The Minister claimed that this would also be the first metro project in the country where 30-km stretch would be inaugurated in the first phase. He said no metro in the country began its operations with more than 11 km. Rama Rao said a delegation of State government officials had recently visited Japan for the second phase of the Hyderabad Metro.
Regarding the second phase of the MMTS, Rama Rao said the work was progressing rapidly for which an amount of Rs 817 crore had been allocated. He said Raidurgam station had been linked with Yadadri Station and was being modernised and developed. The MMTS service would be extended from Ghatkesar to Yadadri, he added.
The government was also actively considering expansion of MMTS Phase III to the towns nearby Hyderabad. He said the stretch of 21-km between Secunderabad and Ghatkesar had been taken up in MMTS Phase II. It will be further extended by another 32 km from Ghatkesar to Raigir Railway Station, which will be developed as Yadadri Station under Phase III.
