Over 500 kms of Metro rail under construction: Govt

More than 500 kms of Metro rail is under construction across the country and new projects will depend on availability of funds as well as feasibility, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today.
He also told the Lok Sabha that government is not considering any change to the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) which provides a broad framework for development of urban transport.
"About 316 kilometres of Metro rail is under operation and more than 500 kilometres is under construction. This includes metro/mono rail systems promoted by state governments and private bodies under their own arrangements," Naidu said.
During the Question Hour, he said there is a demand for having metros in different cities and decisions would be taken after taking into consideration availability of funds as well as feasibility of projects.

Since urban transport intertwined with urban development is a state subject, planning, execution and development of urban transport facilities are done by the states and union territories concerned, Naidu said.
Meanwhile, the Urban Development Ministry has provided financial assistance to 11 cities for construction of 504 kilometres Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS).

According to the Minister, around 222 kilometres of BRTS is operational and the remaining 282 kilometres is under construction.
"Funding under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) has been continued till March 31, 2017 for 7,059 busines and 25 ancillary infrastructure projects (sanctioned during the transition phase ie. 2012-13 and 2013-14).

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When Mohd Salim (CPI-M) asked about the progress of Kolkata East-West Metro project, TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay intervened to say that as local MP and due to the intervention of West Bengal Chief Minister, there was a meeting on the project recently.
Officials from Railways and Urban Development Ministry, among others, came together and problems were sorted out at the meeting, Bandyopadhyay said, adding that he was giving the reply "on your (Minister) behalf with credit to Trinamool government under Mamata Banerjee".
Prabhu then remarked that it is "a very unique way of one member's question being answered by another member even before the project is mentioned".

Soon thereafter, Naidu, who had earlier requested Prabhu to answer Salim's query since the project was under the Railways, said he wanted to put the record straight.
While thanking the chief minister for sorting out the issues, Naidu said Kolkata East-West Metro corridor is under the administrative control of the Railway Ministry.
Noting that it is fully a central government project, Naidu said Railways Ministry's share is 74 per cent and 26 per cent is that of Urban Development Ministry.