DPR of Rs 7000 cr MRP ready by this month end: TN Chief Sec

Chennai, Jan 13 (UNI) The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Rs 7000 crore Metro Rail Project (MRP) would be ready by the end of this month, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary L K Tripathy said today.

Talking to reporters after a meeting to review the ongoing rail overbridge and underbridge projects, he said once the DPR was received work on the prestigious project would commence in the next three months.

He said the 27 km long MRP would be implemented from Airport to Tiruvottriyur in North Chennai of which seven km would be underground path touching the Poonamalle High Road through which the proposed rail route connecting Chennai Egmore and Chennai Central would pass.

''Only after fixing the alignment of the MRP, the alignment for Chennai Egmore-Chennai Central railway track will be taken up. The priority is MRP,'' he said.

Minister of State for Railways R Velu, who was also present, said the Chennai Egmore-Chennai Central Rail Project was awaiting clearance from the Tamil Nadu Government.

He said 38 new proposals for constructing Rail Over Bridge (ROB) and Rail Under Bridge (RUB) at various level crossings had come from the State Goverment and they would be included in the ensuing Railway Budget. The project cost would be equally shared by the State Government and the Railways.

The Railway Ministry would provide the funds from the Central Road Fund.

He said 91 projects had received from the State since 1989 and 27 of them have been completed. The remaining 64 projects were under various stages of implementation.

Mr Velu said the Tiruvanmiyur-Velachery stretch of the MRTS project would be ready by the Tamil New Year day and it would be further extended to St Thomas Mount.

Tamil Nadu Highways Minister Vellakoil M P Saminathan said allocations were made in the 2006-07 budget for 29 ROB and RUB projects.

The meeting reviewed the progress of the ongoing projects, identified the bottlenecks to be removed to ensure they were completed by the end of 2007-08 fiscal.

UNI