Guwahati Metro to go on steam

CM to lay foundation stone on Feb 29

STAFF REPORTER & IANS

GUWAHATI, Feb 23: The long-awaited Metro rail project for Guwahati is set to go full steam with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi slated to lay the foundation stone for Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) at Khapara on February 29.

The Assam cabinet has approved the detailed project report (DPR) for the MRTS and the setting up of the Guwahati Metro Rail Corporation Limited (GMRCL), a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office said on Tuesday.

Prepared by RITES Limited, the 203 km Metro corridor project will be completed in three phases in five years.

Phase I will cover a length 61.4 km, and will have four corridors — Dharapur-rangi (elevated, 22.6 km), MG Road to Khapara (underground, 10 km), Jalukbari to Khapara (elevated, 19.4 km) and ISBT to Paltanbazar (elevated, 9.4 km).

There will be 54 stations in the first phase. The trains with three car racks will have a carrying capacity of up to 975 passengers each.

The projected cost including land is estimated at Rs 18,020 crore. While the Assam government and Central government will share 20 percent each of the total cost, local bodies will contribute Rs 350 crore, while the remaining Rs 10,074 crore (57.93 percent) will be funded through soft loans from funding agencies with guarantees from the Central government.

GMRCL will be a wholly-owned company of the Assam government and will look after the operation and maintence of the project. It will later be converted into a joint ownership (50:50) SPV of the State and Central governments.

The Chief Secretary will be GMRCL chairman and the GMDA chief executive officer will be its maging director.