KOLKATA, 24 APRIL: “Kolkata's Pride,” the Metro Railway, reported a loss of Rs 99.26 crore in the 2011-12 fiscal year.

Emerges best feeder rail network for City

The Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is likely to be preferred over to Monorail for the City. Capita Symonds - the UK-based consultancy firm for property and infrastructure solutions to which the State government has assigned the job of suggesting the best feeder rail network for the City - considers LRT more advantageous than Monorail.

JAIPUR: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's (DMRC) proposal of operating and maintaining of the Jaipur Metro for one year after completion of the project may not be accepted by the Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation (JMRC). To operate the Jaipur Metro under the surveillance of experts, the DMRC has proposed that JMRC should take over after one year when the new staff is well-versed with the operations and maintenance.

However, JMRC chief managing director N C Goyal says, "We are confident of handling operation and maintenance from day one. As some day we have to take the responsibility, it's better to take it from the start." He added, "The option of DMRC assistance and expertise is always available."

AHMEDABAD: A debate over improving connectivity to Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) city has been vexing the state government for long. With nearly 10 floors of 22 of the towers ready at GIFT SEZ site, the urban development department is mulling over the feasibility of taking a BRTS up to the heart of the project. The discussion is on for the last one month in the state urban development department. The new transport may also require a new bridge to be constructed across the Sabarmati river between Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) and GIFT city.

The Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia cautioned Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy against delay in the execution of Hyderabad Metro Rail project. “The delay in the implementation the project could lead to huge cost over-runs,” Dr Singh told Mr Reddy, when they met on Wednesday to discuss the state plan outlay for fiscal 2012-13.

The Supreme Court today asked the Jaipur Metro Development Authority to seek permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests for carrying out sand mining from river bed for its metro rail project.

A special forest bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and C K Prasad said the MoEF shall consider within 10 days any application moved by the metro corporation for excavating sand from the river bed. The apex court passed the direction after Attorney General G E Vahanvati told the bench that the project development had been adversely affected after the Rajasthan High Court recently restrained any type of mining activities from Banas river.

The Jaipur Metro Project on Monday rushed to the Supreme Court complaining that its construction work was badly hit by an order of the Rajasthan High Court extending the SC's ban on mining in Aravalli hill range to extraction of sand from Banas river bed.

Appearing for the metro project, scheduled to be completed by June 2013, attorney general G E Vahanvati informed a bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and C K Prasad that there never was a ban on extraction of sand from the river bed.

GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) seems rather upbeat about the proposed introduction of the monorail system in Guwahati.

Talking to mediapersons in Guwahati today, GMDA chairman Robin Bordoloi said, “Scomi Engineering Berhad, Malaysia, is carrying out a survey in Guwahati to examine the feasibility of the monorail system. So far the company has said that such a system is feasible in the city.

Jaipur: Those development projects which came to a halt for want of bajari (sand) will be anxiously looking forward to the Supreme Court decision on Monday as there is a desperate need to resume the work soon to meet the deadline.

The Supreme Court has fixed the hearing for Monday after a team of officials from the Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation (JMRC) and the Jaipur Development Authority filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, following a Rajasthan High Court order against mining sand from the Banas river.