Metro’s date with Ghaziabad delayed: now it’s March 2011

UP’s Principal Secretary (Housing and Urban Planning) Arun Kumar Sinha said,“The October 2010 deadline will be missed because there was some delay in shifting of power transmission lines and availability of land.”

According to officials,power transmission lines that fell on the route alignment and some water supply lines have since been shifted.

The Anand Vihar to Vaishali stretch will have a station at Kaushambi.

October 2010 was the deadline according to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the GDA and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on March 24,2008.

The project is estimated to cost Rs 260 crore and GDA had paid the entire money to DMRC in three installments by December 12,2009,according to officials. Sources said more than 50 per cent work stands completed at present.

There is also an alternative Metro link planned to connect Dilshad Garden in East Delhi with the New Bus Stand in Ghaziabad but this will be taken up in Metro’s second phase. The detailed project report of this phase was prepared in 2005. The 9.41-km corridor will cost Rs 936 crore and will have seven stations on the way.

Sinha said DMRC had been asked to revise the second-phase detailed project report keeping in mind the current traffic density,demand,and the cost factor.

A third phase,which will involve extension of Metro from Vaishali,is also proposed but the detailed project report of this 16-km proposed project is yet to be prepared.