Construction of Patna Metro stuck due to non-availability of fund

Patna, India (Urban Transport News): The much-awaited Patna Metro is targeted to be commissioned in October of 2024, but currently the pace of work is quite slow. Rs 19,500 crore are to be spent on Metro construction. The centre and state will spend 20-20% of this amount. The remaining 60% is to be given to be arranged from the Japanese agency Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) in the form of debt. But no agreement for the loan is yet finalized either by Patna Metro Rail Corporation (PMRC) or the Bihar Government.

About 76 acres of land is to be acquired to build a metro depot at New ISBT for Phase 1 of the Patna Metro Rail proejct. The land for the depot has been identified on the east side of Patna - Masaudhi Road in front of New ISBT but the acquisition is slow due to the non-release of funds. 

Presently, 5 elevated stations at Malahi Pakri, Khemnik Chak, Bhootnath, Zero Mile and New ISBT are to be constructed between New ISBT - Malahi Pakri for Corridor-2 of Patna Metro Rail project from Central and State Government funds. Utility shifting is underway in and out of the ground. This includes the removal of electric poles and sewers etc. It is being monitored by officers of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Patna Metro Rail Corporation. But the work of underground stations will be started only after receiving funds from JICA.

The tender has already been floated for the construction of elevated stations at Danapur, Saguna, RPS, Pataliputra, Mithapur, Ramakrishna Nagar and Jaganpura for corridor 1 of the project. Utility shifting will begin after the tender is final. The work of installing accelerators and elevators at these stations will be done with the funds of JICA.

Grid sub-stations will be constructed at Mithapur and New ISBT at a cost of Rs 222 crore to supply electricity to Patna Metro. These will have a capacity of 132/33 kV. Bihar State Power Transmission Company will build it. The target is to complete by 2022 but works not yet started.

For more details, please explore the Patna Metro page of Urban Transport News.