Andaman's Monorail project getting on track

Port Blair, Jan 08 (UNI) The dream project of setting up monorail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is not a distant dream as the Public Work Department has decided to finalise a consultant by this month.

The Andaman PWD had invited Expressions of Interest in this regard in May 2007 and advertisements were floated in national dailies following which five consultancy firms had shown interest in the project.

''We have moved the file to our superiors and soon announce the name of the firm,'' APWD Associate Town Planner M Balamurgan told UNI today refusing to divulge into details.

Soon after finalising the consultant, the APWD would seek feasibility reports to be prepared in next fiscal regarding the monorail passenger railroad transport system.

The union territory administration had planned for monorail in a bid make a class apart transport system to woo more tourists.

Others ambitious projects like cable car from Mount Harriet and Theme Park at Gandhi Park were in the pipeline, he said adding that once the project starts would take nearly three years to complete.

The selected consultant is expected to assist the APWD on the financial, technical, legal and environmental viability of the project in the islands capital city.

UNI SKR PP KLC1553