VIJAYAWADA: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P Narayana met Union Minister for Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar in New Delhi on Tuesday, and urged him to clear the Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam metro rail projects at the earliest.
On the second day of his visit to the national capital, Narayana, accompanied by MPs Vallabhaneni Balashowry and Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, and Special Chief Secretary Anil Kumar Singhal, called on the Union Minister, and discussed various development projects in the State.
Narayana informed the Union Minister that the metro rail projects were proposed during the previous TDP government. The detailed project reports (DPRs) were prepared in 2015, and submitted to the Centre. However, the previous YSRC government failed to pursue the projects, he said.
The MAUD Minister submitted updated proposals of the two metro rail projects, and informed Khattar that the Vijayawada metro rail will connect Amaravati. He also urged the Centre to release AP’s share of AMRUT 2.0 funds. The Union Minister responded positively to the requests of Narayana.
As per the revised plan, the total length of the Vijayawada Metro Rail Project is 66.20 km, which will be executed in two phases with an outlay of Rs 25,130 crore. The first phase includes construction of 38.40 km rail line at an estimated cost of Rs 11,009 crore.
The first phase will cover two routes, from Vijayawada Bus Station to Gannavaram (25.95 km) and from the Bus Station to Penamaluru (12.45 km). In the second phase, the State government plans to develop 27.80 km route from the Bus Station to Amaravati at acost of Rs 14,121 crore.
The Vizag Metro Rail project has been envisaged with four corridors, covering a total distance of 76.90 km at a cost of Rs 17,232 crore. In the first phase, three corridors measuring 46.23 km will be developed at a cost of Rs 11,498 crore.
Corridor-1 runs from VSP to Kommadi (34.40 km) with 29 stations, Corridor-2 from Gurudwara to Old Post Office (5.07 km) with six stations, and Corridor-3 from Thatichetlapalem to Chinna Waltair (6.75 km) with seven stations.
