DMRC yet to clear air on role,Lucknow Metro faces delay

Despite DMRC’s indecision,LMRC officials played down the issue.

“DMRC is the interim consultant in the Lucknow metro project and will continue working in that capacity. DMRC has not said it will not execute the project,” Aggarwal said.

The issue is likely to be discussed in the first meeting of LMRC board scheduled to be held under the chairmanship of chief secretary Jawed Usmani Thursday.

The Akhilesh Yadav government had announced the construction on the first stretch — from Amausi to Alambagh — in December.

It is scheduled to be completed by 2016.

The project is likely to get delayed due to DMRC’s indecision on the issue.

Earlier,DMRC had expressed the desire to take up the project,to which the UP government obliged by awarding it to them on a ‘turn key’ basis.

Confusion began a few weeks ago when the Delhi government reportedly asked DMRC to avoid making any commitment to the UP government regarding this project. Delhi government has 50 per cent stake in DMRC.

But the committee in its recent meeting did not take a decision on the proposal following reports about Delhi government’s intervention.

Sources said that when Rajiv Aggarwal met DMRC officials last week in Delhi,they informed him that Delhi government has asked them to focus on Delhi projects and stay away from making a commitment on executing any UP-related projects.

Following the delay from DMRC,LMRC has put the tendering process on hold.

A LMRC official said,“If the DMRC drops out of the project,LMRC will appoint General Consultants (GC) to implement the project.”

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL),a Government of India (GoI), enterprise,has shown interest in taking up the Lucknow metro rail project.