The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) would be hit hard as its Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project will see a massive cost escalation.

The municipal corporation would now have to shell out Rs 229.85 crore, in addition to Rs 170.42 crore that it had originally allocated for the project. The total project cost is now pegged at Rs 655.89 crore. The initial cost was Rs 426.04 crore.

The PCMC is understood to be looking at a World Bank loan of Rs 400.26 crore to fund its share.

The cost addition has occurred as additional components — roads, bridges, under and over passes — are now being added to the project at two places — Kalewadi Phata-Dehu Alandi and Nasik Phata-Wakad. Both the central and state governments will not be putting in extra money over and above their sanctioned shares — Rs 170.42 crore and Rs 85.21 crore respectively.

According to the latest detailed project report (DPR) prepared by the PCMC, the sanctioned project cost for building the Kalewadi Phata-Dehu Alandi BRTS route is Rs 219.20 crore. Similarly, Rs 206.84 crore was sanctioned for the route from Nasik Phata to Wakad.

Pimpri Chinchwad Commisioner Asheesh Sharma said, “ The municipal corporation does not get funds from the central government to build ancillary structures like under and overpass, bridges on the BRTS route. All this cost has to be borne by the municipal corporation, which results in cost addition.”

“Between these two projects, the PCMC would now be required to chip in with Rs 151 crore more — for constructing bus terminals, environment mitigation, preliminary and pre operative expenses, contingencies and escalation on the two BRTS routes. This takes up the total contribution of PCMC to Rs 400 crore towards the construction of the two projects,” said Dilip Kudale, co-ordinator for JNURM projects, PCMC. The amount that has been earmarked as additional cost for PCMC is Rs 79.13 crore.

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