PM's help sought in Faridabad Metro plan

CHANDIGARH: After the Delhi-Gurgaon Metro gets completed at an operational cost of Rs 688 crore by January 2010, well in time before the
Commonwealth Games, the Haryana government has now sought the intervention of PM Manmohan Singh to get the Rs 2,082 crore Delhi-Faridabad Metro project cleared.

The detailed project report of the Delhi-Faridabad Metro (Badarpur to YMCA Chowk) was prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the project, having a length of 13.875 km, was approved by the Haryana government in March 2007. It was approved by the DMRC in December 2007, but concurrence of the NCR governments was still awaited despite reminders by the state government.

"Haryana has accorded highest priority to improve connectivity within the NCR, especially between Delhi and adjacent towns of Haryana to boost economic development. The Delhi-Faridabad Metro project is of immense significance for Haryana as well as for the nation,'' chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said.

"This is the reason we have approached the Prime Minister in this regard,'' he added. After completion of the proposed extension of Metro to Faridabad and Badarpur, the connectivity between the capital and the NCR towns will improve and achieve the basic objective of NCR Planning Board Act, 1985. Haryana government also urged the Central government to bear the entire cost of these projects through the Union ministry of urban development.