The project, estimated at a cost of Rs 4676 crore will connect the railway station of eastern India, Howrah, and the information technology suburb of Salt Lake. The link will cover a total distance of 13.77 kms with 8 kms running underground. The project will be executed through a joint venture company to be formed with a 50:50 partnership between West Bengal and the centre.
The Cabinet today approved the constitution of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the project. "The SPV will be constituted for successful execution of the project as well as its operation and maintenance", Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi announced today. The project is expected to be completed in six and half years in two stages. The first stage of 5.77 kms, elevated section would be commissioned in five and half years time.
The project report says there will be a two-tier fare structure of Rs 8 and Rs 16.
The detailed Project Report of Kolkata's East-West Metro connection had been prepared by E Sreedharan, the head of the Delhi's Metro project. Although the original proposal was to extend the link 3.5 kms inside Howrah district, the cabinet however, approved the rail line till Howrah station. JBIC of Japan will partially fund the metro link, sources added.
Information and broadcasting minister, who also heads the All India Football Federation, was happy announcing the project as it would enable soccer fans across the river to come easily to the Asia's biggest football stadium at the Salt Lake. But in the cabinet meeting, Dasmunsi had a tough time to get the project approved quickly. According to sources, Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia insisted that the project be referred to a Group of Ministers (GoM). He also wanted that the Centre should not have any financial responsibility and the whole project should be left to the state for execution. However, Dasmunsi argued that in Chennai and Bangalore the metro links have a participation of the Central government and Kolkata should get a similar treatment.