VIJAYAWADA: The State government is getting ready to take up metro rail projects in both Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, along with Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P Narayana and R&B Minister BC Janardhan Reddy, held a review meeting with officials at the State Secretariat on Thursday.
He approved the double-decker system for a length of 66 km in Vijayawada, and 76.9 km in Visakhapatnam. Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (APMRC) Managing Director NP Rama Krishna Reddy made a detailed presentation on the metro rail project.
The Chief Minister discussed the system of funding of the metro rail project as per the provisions of the policy adopted in 2017, and said before this came into existence there was no system of 100% Central funding for the metro rail projects in the States. The Kolkata metro rail project was taken up at a cost of Rs 8,565 crore on the same modalities.
Mentioning that the metro rail project is clearly proposed for Andhra Pradesh even in the AP Reorganisation Act, the Chief Minister felt that either as per the provisions of the Act or as per the policy adopted in 2017 by the previous regime, the Centre should extend all kinds of assistance for the metro rail project in the State. Naidu said he will soon hold discussions with the Centre on execution of the metro rail project in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
A decision has already been taken pertaining to the metro rail project both in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, which is a double-decker system, particularly where the metro rail has to pass through national and State highways.
In this system roads will be constructed on base level, flyovers will be constructed on it, and on that the metro rail line will be built.
In the first phase, the double-decker system in Visakhapatnam will be constructed for 15 km from Madhurawada to Thatichetlapalem and for another 4 km from Gajuwaka to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
Similarly, in Vijayawada, the double-decker system of metro rail project will be for 4.7 km from Ramavarappadu Ring Road to Nidamanuru.
Since this system is already in existence in different metro cities in the country, the State government has decided to implement the same here too.
At the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the officials to complete the necessary discussions with the Centre soon and launch the metro rail project works both in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam at the earliest. Naidu is keen that the metro rail project should come into operation at least in the next four years.