Kanpur Metro project gets Rs 100 crore, civil work start from October 2

Kanpur (Urban Transport News): The Uttar Pradesh Government has released a fund of Rs. 200 crore to Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) to commence metro construction work in Kanpur and Agra. Speaking to the press reporters, LMRC Managing Director Kumar Keshav said that the found would not be a hindrance for the Kanpur Metro Rail project as the state government has released Rs.100-100 crore for Kanpur and Agra Metro rail project.

Another fund of Rs.75 crore would be released before March 2020. Centre will also contribute the equal fund soon. LMRC is all set to commence construction work on a priority section of Kanpur Metro rail project. An official from LMRC said that construction of pillars for laying the metro track near the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-K) will start from October 2.

The corporation has already started demolishing work of three hostels of Government Polytechnic and shifting of trees where a metro depot is planned. Recently a meeting was called by principal secretary, housing, Deepak Kumar where it was decided that the key stakeholders would contribute Rs 350 crore to the Kanpur Metro rail project. The total cost of the metro project was estimated at Rs 16,975 crore.

In the meeting, the Uttar Pradesh Avas Vikas Parishad was asked to contribute Rs 200 crore, the Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) Rs 100 crore and Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) Rs 50 crore. However, KDA has expressed its inability in providing its share of Rs 100 crore for the project. SP Singh, secretary, Kanpur Development Authority (KDA), said,

The financial health of the authority was bad after it built houses under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana. The authority had the responsibility of providing 40,000 houses to the people.

Urban Transport News earlier reported that the Afcons Infrastructure Limited has been awarded the work of design and construction of viaducts and 9 (nine) stations of phase I corridor of Kanpur Metro rail project. The value of construction work is Rs.735 crore.