Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Metro Rail/Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) are operational/under implementation in National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, at present.

Urban transport, which is an integral part of urban development, is a state subject. Hence, respective State Governments are responsible for initiating, developing and funding urban transport infrastructure including metro rail projects. Central Government considers financial assistance for metro rail proposals in cities or urban agglomerates, on the basis of extant policy, feasibility of the proposal and availability of resources, as and when posed by the State Governments concerned.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP)  was requested in 2017 to revise the proposals for implementation of Metro Rail Projects in Vijayawada and Vishakhapatnam in line with the provisions of Metro Rail Policy-2017.  GoAP has not yet submitted revised proposal in this regard.

GoAP had also submitted a proposal for external financial assistance from Korean EXIM Bank for a Light Metro Rail Project in Visakhapatnam on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.  The Korean side, after examining the proposal conveyed their inability to finance the Project. GoAP was, therefore, advised that the project proposal may be posed by them to some other bilateral/multilateral agencies for loan assistance through web portal of the Department of Economic Affairs as per the extant guidelines. No fresh proposal for external assistance for Light Metro Rail Project in Visakhapatnam has been received from GoAP in this regard, according to a PIB release.

This information was given by Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on August 4, 2021.