Before code kicked in, govt pushed Metros in UP, Maharashtra

The Gujarat government sent its DPR on February 24, 10 days before the model code of conduct kicked in but no in-principle nod was given to it, an official said.

Appraising a DPR requires at least one year and the proposal is sent for consultation to various departments and ministries like finance, railways and Planning Commission before a final approval is given.

In the case of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, however, the government in-principle nod.

Although there was a request by the Samajwadi Party-led state government to expedite the approval, no such request was sent from the Maharashtra government, which is ruled by Congress-NCP alliance.

The Gujarat government also did not make any such request.

Ministry officials said they received the project report from Gujarat only last week, but a senior official of Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) said they sent the DPR on February 24 itself.

“After we sent the DPR last year, we were asked to make certain changes. We took the help of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which helped us in preparing the project report. On February 24 we sent the report to MoUD for appraisal. It must have been lying with them,” said I P Gautam, vice-chairperson, MEGA.

The first phase of the Rs 19,000-crore Metro project between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, which has now been brought down to Rs 10,000, is scheduled for completion in 2017.