Energy crisis forces shift from personal transport to public transport

INDIA – The Centre has given its go-ahead to Metro Rail projects for Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore and would provide viability gap funding for the projects in various states, Union Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy said on Friday.

The choice of deciding about the nature of gauge to be adopted in the metro rail projects has been given to state governments, Reddy said.

In his inaugural address at ”Cityscapes 2006”, a meet on Urban infrastructure reforms with public-private linkages, being organised by the FICCI, Reddy said metro rail projects in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Banglore can take off immediately.

The project proposals were pending, following the stand of Indian Railways that broad gauge should be adopted for Metro Rail projects, while many state governments preferred standard gauge.

India Daily