Andhra govt scraps plan for Vizag Metro project, to start afresh

The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday decided to appoint a new consultant for preparing a revised detailed project report for the Visakhapatnam Metro Rail project that has been hanging fire for five years now.

The government also decided to cancel the single bid received from Essel Infra and Consortium for developing the 42.55-km project in public-private partnership mode at a cost of Rs 8,300 crore.

"The bidder did not offer much cost reduction. Moreover, the scope of the project has changed substantially in view of the new requirements suggested by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy," Municipal Administration and Urban Development Secretary Jamjam Syamala Rao said.

Accordingly, the government has decided to appoint a new consultant for preparing a revised DPR, he said.

The Visakhapatnam Metro Rail project was mooted in 2014 in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act and the Centre gave in principle approval in 2015.

As per the original plan it was supposed to be completed by 2018.

But the previous TDP government dilly-dallied on the project for more than two years by which time the Centre came out with the Metro Rail Policy, 2017.

Accordingly, the state was asked to re-examine and submit a fresh DPR.

With the incumbent YSR Congress government planning to shift the state administrative headquarters to Visakhapatnam soon, it was decided to expedite the Metro Rail project, official sources said.

"We will get a revised DPR prepared and send it to the Centre for approval. No timelines have been set for the project as of now," the sources added.