City Metro to be completed in four years, says Azad

Affirming that the Centre was "serious" about Rs 4,000-odd crore metro rail for Bangalore, Union urban development minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said the project was expected to be completed in four years.

The minister inaugurated residential quarters for central government employees here on Wednesday.

"We are serious about it (the project)" and once the cabinet clearance is given, "everything will be set in motion", he told reporters here, adding Bangalore's will be the second metro project in the country after Delhi's.

He said the Public Investment Board (PIB) had met on the Bangalore Metro Project and the Union ministry for urban development had submitted certain clarifications to the board.

A note prepared for PIB will also be sent in two days and after obtaining the board clearance, the matter will be placed before the Union cabinet, Azad said but declined to specify the timeframe for cabinet clearance.

He said the project will have equity participation from the Centre and Karnataka government with Japanese assistance to the extent of 50 per cent of the cost but added that unlike the Delhi metro, the Railways will not be involved in it.

Azad said the Japanese assistance will come only after 18 months and till then, the Karnataka government had promised to mobilise Rs 3,000 crore. "The Karnataka government has done the whole exercise neatly and cleanly," he said.

Azad said the Rs 10,000 crore Delhi metro project for 81 km will be completed by next june ahead of schedule.