The elevated light metro proposed for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode to solve traffic problems of both the cities is “feasible, well within the limits of the State” and will incur an expenditure of Rs.6,728 crore on completion in 2020.
The 22.2-km Technocity- Karamana stretch will cost Rs.4,219 crore and the 14.2-km Meenchanda-Kozhikode Medical College stretch Rs.2,509 crore, says the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) detailed project report (DPR) submitted to the government.
As per the estimate, the Thiruvananthapuram stretch will cost Rs.3,453 crore and that in Kozhikode Rs. 2,057 crore. The Rs.5,510-crore estimate includes the land cost and Central taxes. The cost per km in the capital is Rs.158 crore and Rs.154 crore in Kozhikode.
State’s equityThe State’s equity will be Rs.1,001 crore for Thiruvananthapuram and Rs.618 crore for Kozhikode with an annual contribution of Rs.324 crore. For the Centre, the equity will be Rs.1,278 crore (Rs. 805 crore for the State capital) with a yearly contribution of Rs.256 crore.
As in the case of the MRTS, the DMRC has proposed a five per cent cess on petrol and diesel for mobilising the funds.
A competent and reliable company on the lines of the one set up for the Kochi Metro has been mooted for the turnkey project.
The DMRC has retained the same alignment fixed for the scrapped MRTS and locations for 19 stations in the capital and 15 in Kozhikode. The demand to include Technopark has been ignored by the DMRC. The ‘agraharams’ that has got the heritage tag have been avoided while fixing the alignment.
Three cars that can take 600 people have been proposed and the project will be commissioned in three years in Kozhikode and five years in the capital. The DPR, comprising 17 chapters, personally vetted by Principal Adviser of the DMRC E. Sreedharan was handed over to Kerala Monorail Corporation Ltd. (KMCL) by a DMRC official.
Official sources told The Hindu that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy acted swiftly on a letter from Mr. Sreedharan informing him about submission of the DPR and issued orders to convene the KMCL board on October 24 to discuss the DPR.
Published - October 11, 2014 11:39 am IST
