Metro rail to arrive in Patna

Planning commission|Patna Metro rail projectPATNA: The Planning Commission has given a go-ahead for the construction of the Metro rail in this Bihar capital, government said on Friday.

"With the Planning Commission having agreed to it, the Metro rail will come to Patna," Bihar Urban Development Minister Prem Kumar said.

The Metro rail will be introduced on two routes under the public-private partnership mode.

"A breakthrough for Metro rail in Patna was finally made in a marathon meeting with a senior official of the Planning Commission that was held here Sep 14," an official confirmed.

Planning Commission advisor Rajendra Haldia discussed the project with top officials of the state urban development department. "They also made an inspection of the likely Metro rail routes - Dak bunglow Square to Saguna Morh and Danapur to Patna city," the official added.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/metro-rail-to-arrive-in-patna/articleshow/10006229.cms

Good news , but they are more concentrate on mono rail due to narrow roads & heavy traffic load on patna roads(specially gandhi maidan to whole patna city ){monorail required less space for construction & its cheap also in compare to metro}

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/epaper/index.php?location=42&edition=2011-09-17#id=111721250171132752_42_2011-09-17

I dont think there was any need to create this thread. Could have been created after the tenders have come in etc, but never the less scince its been created:

पटना में मेट्रो रेल के लिए बनी सहमति

पटना : सब कुछ ठीक रहा, तो पटना में मेट्रो रेल का निर्माण कार्य शुरू हो जायेगा. योजना आयोग ने गुरुवार को मेट्रो रेल परियोजना को हरी झंडी दे दी. आयोग के सलाहकार गजेंद्र हल्दिया और रवि मित्तल के साथ राज्य सरकार के अधिकारियों की हुई बैठक में मेट्रो रेल परियोजना की फिजिबिलिटी रिपोर्ट तैयार करने पर सहमति बन गयी.

इसी महीने फिजिबिलिटी रिपोर्ट के लिए टेंडर जारी किया जायेगा. योजना एवं विकास विभाग के प्रधान सचिव विजय प्रकाश ने बताया है कि पीपीपी मोड में बननेवाले मेट्रो रेल के लिए फिजिबिलिटी रिपोर्ट छह माह में तैयार कर ली जायेगी. इसी आधार पर निर्माण कार्य के लिए निविदा जारी होगी.

हालांकि नगर विकास विभाग ने शहर में मेट्रो रेल बिछाने की परिकल्पना तैयार कर रखी है. पटना सिटी से दानापुर तक लगभग 25 किलोमीटर से अधिक लंबी मेट्रो रेल की योजना है. सूत्रों के मुताबिक दानापुर के सगुना मोड़ से अशोक राजपथ होते हुए मेट्रो लाइन बिछाने की योजना है.

दीघा में मेट्रो का जंकशन बनाया जायेगा. मेट्रो रेल लाइन को कंकड़बाग से भी जोड़ा जायेगा. मेट्रो के लिए परेशानी अशोक राजपथ पर इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज मोड़ से सुल्तानगंज तक अधिक है. बताया जा रहा है कि यहां 20 से 30 फुट की ऊंचाई से मेट्रो को आगे ले जाया जायेगा.

राजधानी में मेट्रो रेल परियोजना पूरा होने की स्थिति में शहरवासियों को जाम की समस्या से काफी हद तक निजात मिल जायेगी. इसके पहले पटना में मेट्रो रेल परियोजना की डीपीआर तैयार करने के लिए दिल्ली मेट्रो रेल ने 10 लाख रुपये प्रति किलोमीटर की दर से 2.5 करोड़ रुपये की मांग बिहार सरकार से की थी.

http://www.prabhatkhabar.com/node/59681

Translation from google translate:
Agreed to Metro rail in Patna

Patna: Everything is fine, it will start construction of Metro rail in Patna. Metro Planning Commission on Thursday cleared the project.

Tender for feasibility report will be released this month.Tender for construction work will continue on that basis.

The City Development Department has formulated the concept of city metro rail laying. Approximately 25 kilometers from Patna, Danapur City metro plan. According to sources, Ashok Rajpath in Danapur saguna turn are laying the metro line is planned.

Digha junction of the metro will be built. Metro rail line will be connected to Kankdbag. Ashok Rajpath trouble turning on the Metro from the College of Engineering is to Sultanganj. Being told that the 20 to 30 feet from the metro will be taken forward.

Its too early for bihar to get Metro.

Moreover, Bihar don't have electricity??

First get, decent hospitals and education institute which are not there in bihar and people of bihar floods Delhi for it.

bihar govt. should have gone for agricultural and industrial revival in bihar.


6 out of 12 months in a year many areas of bihar remain in floods or drought is there.

Govt. should utilize cheap labour in MSME sector specially in the areas which doesn't requires tech+power+big investments.

Its too early for bihar to get Metro.

Moreover, Bihar don't have electricity??

First get, decent hospitals and education institute which are not there in bihar and people of bihar floods Delhi for it.

bihar govt. should have gone for agricultural and industrial revival in bihar.


6 out of 12 months in a year many areas of bihar remain in floods or drought is there.

Bihar is getting AIIMS like hospital in Patna. it got IIT in Patna recently and they are trying to revive Nalanda University too and Nitish kumar has got many industries coming in although they will be making biscuits instead of cars :lol: Still a long way to catch up form the 15 years of that draculous rule :bash: of Lalu & Rabdi that brought them in stone age :ohno:
Besides it is just a tender for feasibility studies. will take time to actually get it running. I am sure Bihar will become fairly better till that time comes. And as things are going on I am sure Bihar will be on same level if not more than UP on per capita basis.

Bihar is getting AIIMS like hospital in Patna. it got IIT in Patna recently and they are trying to revive Nalanda University too and Nitish kumar has got many industries coming in although they will be making biscuits instead of cars :lol: Still a long way to catch up form the 15 years of that draculous rule :bash: of Lalu & Rabdi that brought them in stone age :ohno:
Besides it is just a tender for feasibility studies. will take time to actually get it running. I am sure Bihar will become fairly better till that time comes. And as things are going on I am sure Bihar will be on same level if not more than UP on per capita basis.


1. First read my post before commenting.

2. I know what central govt is doing like AIIMS, IIT or Rs. 60,000 kms of roads for bihar from central funds

The UPA government seems to be getting more generous towards Bihar with the Centre clearing all bottlenecks in execution of rural roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), paving the way for construction of 60,000 km of roads in the NDA ruled state. http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/centre-fund-60000-km-bihar-rural-roads

3. My point is what bihar govt is doing?????????????

4. If bihar govt. have some money it should spent it on education, helthcare etc. rather then some fancy stuff.

5. one IIT, one AIIMS or Nalanda can't met the demand of millions of biharis, remember bihar has 3rd largest population in India.

So my points stays.


And on rabri/lalu thing yeah they were blood suckers but yadavraaj is replaced by another castist Kurmiraaj. And yes the grond situation in bihar has not changed yet.

It will take a decade.

^^ Its ridiculous you say that Bihar gov. is not doing anything in case of education. It was one of the main reasons Nitish came back to power. And also agriculture. Havent you read articles about Green Revolution in Bihar. I can post many articles here but this is not the thread to do so. And its not that Patna is getting a monorail or metro. We have been seeing HSR for India articles since a while now. Do you think they will actually build it? Same is the case here.

yeah why dont people read up before making ignorant posts.

Really ????????

I think myself as a well informed and upto date with latest info throughout India.

Or its the some people who get carried away by the gloss created by fancy stories in the media.

And also agriculture. Havent you read articles about Green Revolution in Bihar.

green revolution???? I haven't read anything about green revolution, it is not done in 6 months or a year it takes 3-4 yrs for green revolution.

Search for it, you will find many articles about increase in productivity by innovative methods in Bihar and still lot to do

Really ????????

I think myself as a well informed and upto date with latest info throughout India.

Or its the some people who get carried away by the gloss created by fancy stories in the media.

or may be they have known it as a first hand account from the people actually living there?

has the central govt suddenly become generous enough to release funds for the state which has its opposition party in power while there was none to be offered when their ally was? or you just think that the damage done for decades can be reversed in a matter of a few years rule and the improvements merely dont have any significance until every thing is spic and span?

@ world open your eyes and see the original facts, instead of believing fucking,partial,bloody media.

Last 4 yrs agricultural production is stagnant or EVEN decreased Original GOI source (http://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/Publications/PDFs/023T_HBS120911.pdf)

^^ You yourself said it takes time and the initiatives taken are fairly recent. Maybe you will see the result in the coming years :dunno:

I've lost count of the cities in India trying for metro/mono.

Operating:
1) Kolkata
2) Delhi

U/C:
1) Mumbai
2) Bengaluru
3) Chennai
4) Jaipur
5) Gurgaon
6) Hyderabad

Proposed:
1) Kochi
2) Ahmedabad
3) Pune
4) Chandigarh
5) Bhopal
6) Lucknow
7) Ludhiana
8) Kanpur
9) NOIDA
10) Srinagar
11) Jammu
12) Patna
13) Indore

Any thing else?

^^ You yourself said it takes time and the initiatives taken are fairly recent. Maybe you will see the result in the coming years :dunno:

yes, that is why i said, on DD news i have seen such initiatives in many states like HP, Rajasthan etc. Nice to know that it is also been done in Bihar. But very early to say "green revolution" in Bihar. For that they need large irrigation facilities and for that you need power which will not be available in good amount at least by 2013.

Yes Bihar is very short of power and I think there are some thermal power plants which are to start construction very soon, you would know more about it :cheers:

proposed (mono)

14.Trivandrum
15.Coimbatore
16.Madurai
17.Trichy

Metro overtakes monorail for load factor
- Elevated corridor on radar because of cost-effectiveness, space constraint

Source: The Telegraph, India (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110917/jsp/bihar/story_14516513.jsp)
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2063/17zzbhr3big.jpg

The metro rail is emerging as a more viable option for the city than the monorail for the execution of the proposed Patna Integrated Mass Rapid Transport System (PIMRTS) because of load factor. Even the Planning Commission is extending its technical support to the proposed metro project.

According to sources, the entire metro network in Patna would be elevated because of space constraint and cost-effectiveness. The construction of each kilometre of elevated track would cost Rs 150 crore.

The cost of developing each kilometre of underground metro track is around Rs 350 crore.

Gajendra Haldea, the advisor to the deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission (infrastructure), was in the state capital recently to discuss the plans for the project. According to sources, Haldea met senior officers of state urban development department, planning and development department, road construction department and energy department. He also surveyed the city with Shashi Shekhar Sharma, the principal secretary of the urban development department, to assess the overall feasibility of the metro network.

The state government officials said decisions on various issues concerning the metro rail network for the city were taken after deliberations.

It was decided that the state government should issue the expression of interest for the preparation of the detailed feasibility report for the proposed metro rail within a week. Also, an initial proposal has to be sent to the cabinet within a week for seeking its in-principal approval.

“Haldea was informed about four proposed metro corridors. According to the initial findings, Haldea exhorted on working on the Saguna Mor-Gandhi Maidan and Danapur- Gandhi Maidan routes,” a senior official of state planning and development department said.

“Whatever routes have been proposed at present are just the preliminary choices. The technical consultant that would prepare the detailed feasibility report would have complete freedom to explore the alternative routes,” a senior road construction department officer said.

The officer said the preparation of the feasibility report would take around six months and the construction can start at least after a year-and-a-half.

Bihar to have Metro Rail services soon as govt gives green signal

PATNA: Bihar will soon have Metro Rail services with the government giving the green signal for introducing the public conveyance on two routes in state capital Patna.

"In the first phase, Metro Rail services would be provided between Patna and Danapur and in the second between Patna Junction and Digha, both distances of 20 km each," Minister for Urban Development Prem Kumar told PTI here.

Officials from the state met Ganjendra Haldiya, the adviser to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi on September 14, where the nod was given to start work for the around Rs 8,000-crore project, Kumar said.

"We want to start the Metro Rail service at the earliest for better transport facilities in the fast-developing capital of Bihar. The project is planned in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model," the minister said.

"It is just beginning of the exercise... we will try to complete the project on the two routes at the earliest," he said, while declining to specify a time frame.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/10028836.cms

I've lost count of the cities in India trying for metro/mono.

Operating:
1) Kolkata
2) Delhi

U/C:
1) Mumbai
2) Bengaluru
3) Chennai
4) Jaipur
5) Gurgaon
6) Hyderabad

Proposed:
1) Kochi
2) Ahmedabad
3) Pune
4) Chandigarh
5) Bhopal
6) Lucknow
7) Ludhiana
8) Kanpur
9) NOIDA
10) Srinagar
11) Jammu
12) Patna
13) Indore

Any thing else?

Navi Mumbai

Gaziabad, Faridabad, Sonipat though extension of DMRC

^^ Oh, I forgot Navi Mumbai. and yes the extensions do not count

Bihar to have Metro Rail services soon

Source: DC (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/east/bihar-have-metro-rail-services-soon-641)
Bihar will soon have Metro Rail services with the government giving the green signal for introducing the public conveyance on two routes in state capital Patna.

"In the first phase, Metro Rail services would be provided between Patna and Danapur and in the second between Patna Junction and Digha, both distances of 20 km each," Minister for Urban Development Prem Kumar told PTI here.

Officials from the state met Ganjendra Haldiya, the adviser to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi on September 14, where the nod was given to start work for the around Rs 8,000-crore project, Kumar said.

"We want to start the Metro Rail service at the earliest for better transport facilities in the fast-developing capital of Bihar. The project is planned in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model," the minister said.

"It is just beginning of the exercise ... we will try to complete the project on the two routes at the earliest," he said, while declining to specify a time frame.

Kumar also evaded a direct reply when asked whether any agency has been engaged for the Detailed Project Report on it. "The matter relating to assigning the job of preparation of the DPR to an agency will go the State Cabinet for a decision," he said.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is keen to give Patna Metro Rail services similar to New Delhi, has given his consent to the proposal.

Official sources said the Urban Development Department was preparing the request for proposal (RPF), which was likely to be placed before the State Cabinet next week.

Principal Secretary of Planning Department, Vijay Prakash said the feasibility report would be prepared withing six months.

The Centre would provide 20 per cent of the cost as Viability Gap Fund amounting to Rs 1,600 crore while the state government would spend a similar sum depending upon the final estimate of the project, they said.

The remaining amount would be borne by the private company involved in the construction of the Metro Rail.

"We are also thinking of allowing the private company to let out the kiosks at Metro stations. This would minimise the cost component of the state government," the sources said.

The government also planned to construct a third Metro line from Patna Junction to Digha Ghat passing through the heart of city.

The route would serve as a transit route for passengers wishing to change trains for north Bihar and other destinations when the Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge over the Ganga was commissioned in 2012.

Earlier, the Technical Expert Committee of the Railways had suggested providing Metro services to cities with a population of over 20 lakh.

The Centre recently approved plans for Metro Rail projects for cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Kochi.

I've lost count of the cities in India trying for metro/mono.

Operating:
1) Kolkata
2) Delhi

U/C:
1) Mumbai
2) Bengaluru
3) Chennai
4) Jaipur
5) Gurgaon
6) Hyderabad

Proposed:
1) Kochi
2) Ahmedabad
3) Pune
4) Chandigarh
5) Bhopal
6) Lucknow
7) Ludhiana
8) Kanpur
9) NOIDA
10) Srinagar
11) Jammu
12) Patna
13) Indore

Any thing else?

Aizawl (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110321/jsp/northeast/story_13740952.jsp) ,

Wow, Aizwal too joining the race. Surprisingly havent heard any plans for Guwahati

here you go.

Metro rail blips on Dispur radar
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090214/jsp/guwahati/story_10532060.jsp

^^ That settles it. Final list as of now:
List of the cities in India trying for metro/mono.

Operating:
1) Kolkata
2) Delhi

U/C:
1) Mumbai (Metro & Mono)
2) Bengaluru
3) Chennai
4) Jaipur
5) Gurgaon
6) Hyderabad

Proposed (Metro):
1) Kochi
2) Ahmedabad
3) Pune
4) Chandigarh
5) Navi Mumbai
6) Bhopal
7) Lucknow
8) Ludhiana
9) Kanpur
10) NOIDA
11) Srinagar
12) Jammu
13) Patna
14) Indore
15) Guwahati/Dispur
16) Aizawl

Proposed (Mono)
1) Chennai
2) Trivandrum
3) Coimbatore
4) Madurai
5) Trichy

really GREAT NEWS, but I think some more cities need metro,

1) Agartala
2) Rachi
3) Trivandum
4) Bhubaneswar,
5)Allahabad.
6) Nagpur
7) Asanssol
8) Siliguri
9) Ajmer
10) Bilaspur
11) Mysore
12) Gaya
13) Panaji
14) Udaipur
15) Surat

I miss ashish mitra here :P

^^ That settles it. Final list as of now:
List of the cities in India trying for metro/mono.

Operating:
1) Kolkata
2) Delhi

U/C:
1) Mumbai (Metro & Mono)
2) Bengaluru
3) Chennai
4) Jaipur
5) Gurgaon
6) Hyderabad

Proposed (Metro):
1) Kochi
2) Ahmedabad
3) Pune
4) Chandigarh
5) Navi Mumbai
6) Bhopal
7) Lucknow
8) Ludhiana
9) Kanpur
10) NOIDA
11) Srinagar
12) Jammu
13) Patna
14) Indore
15) Guwahati/Dispur
16) Aizawl

Proposed (Mono)
1) Chennai
2) Trivandrum
3) Coimbatore
4) Madurai
5) Trichy


Why would Aizawl which has a small population concentrated in a small area be considering metro railway? What the city needs urgently is broader roads and good quality city buses. However It's good to see that Guwahati has started planning for metro railway since the city has been growing at a rapid rate over the last decade. Looking at the pace at which Guwahati has expanded and how many cities in the country are vying for metro and mono rail I won't be surprised if Guwahati also starts construction of metro/ mono rail within the next decade.

It's heartening to see so many cities in the country finally pushing for modern intra city transport systems. You can also add Bangalore to the list of cities planning for mono rail.

bangalore is in the u/c list.

^^ List of the cities in India trying for metro/monorail.

Operating:
1) Kolkata
2) Delhi
3) Bengaluru (Bangalore)

U/C (Metro):
1) Mumbai
2) Chennai
3) Jaipur
4) Gurgaon
5) Hyderabad
6) Navi Mumbai
7) Kochi

U/C (Monorail):
1) Mumbai

Proposed (Metro):
1) Ahmedabad
2) Pune
3) Chandigarh
4) Bhopal
5) Lucknow
6) Ludhiana
7) Kanpur
8) NOIDA
9) Srinagar
10) Jammu
11) Patna
12) Indore
13) Guwahati/Dispur
14) Amritsar

Proposed (Monorail)
1) Chennai
2) Bangalore
3) Trivandrum
4) Coimbatore
5) Madurai
6) Trichy
7) Aizawl
8) Ahmedabad
9) Patna

Hey, aizawl is proposing a monorail, not a metro.

GHY metro plans are still being finalised, and in 'vision 2025' masterplan (see in gmda.co.in /maps.zip) (75 mb file containing lot of info)... u can see a metro corridor.

I had met a traffic officer from PWD dept here as a part of my curriculum project and he has iven a great idea about developing GHY city. they would now start building flyovers like mad, and also are trying to make 2 more bridges over brahmaputra, connecting north GHY, and a ropeway is already u/c.

:cheers: Corrected

I miss ashish mitra here :P

:lol:

As a nww rule, 2 million plus cities will get metro. So Patna must wait to fulfill it until 2015.

It may construct a light-rail/monorail now for true profitable service.

Patna UA is already more than 2 million

X-posting from Patna projects thread

Signal from Nitish, metro hits top gear

Source: The Telegraph, India (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111129/jsp/bihar/story_14810457.jsp)
The Patna metro project seems to be running on the right track. The state urban development department has received a nod from chief minister Nitish Kumar for conducting the techno-economic feasibility study for the metro rail corridor in Patna.

The department is now working on a war footing to release the request for proposal documents, regarding the preparation of the feasibility study, within a fortnight.

Shashi Shekhar Sharma, principal secretary of the department, told The Telegraph: “The chief minister has agreed to conduct the techno-economic feasibility study for the metro rail corridor in Patna. While giving the approval, the chief minister also suggested that complete freedom be given to the selected consultant for exploring all viable routes under the proposed project. We are making the required changes in the respective documents and we would release the request for proposal document for Patna metro project within a fortnight.”

The department has already received the consent of the Planning Commission for providing technical support for the Patna metro rail project. Officials of the Planning Commission had held meetings with the state government in July and September this year. “A draft of the request for proposal documents for the metro project has also been sent to the Planning Commission and they will to revert to us with their suggestions. The final request for proposal document would incorporate those suggestions as well,” said Sharma.

Regarding the scope of the feasibility study, Sharma said: “The selected technical consultant would conduct its own survey of current and projected traffic footprint, demography, transportation practices, land and power availability, economic and social feasibility of the proposed metro corridor in Patna. The selected consultant would also give the various possible alignments for metro rail, which would be finalised in the later stages.”

Regarding the stages of Patna metro project, Sharma said: “Now, as both the Planning Commission and the chief minister have agreed to conduct the feasibility study for the proposed project, we would issue the respective request for proposal documents within a fortnight. This would be followed by bidding stage and submission of financial proposals by the interested firms. The selected consultant would be given six months to prepare the techno-economic feasibility study. After submission of the respective feasibility report, the department would issue expression of interest for the construction work of metro rail project.” According to sources, the actual construction can start at least after a year-and-a-half, depending upon timely actions.

Sources said the department has been approached by many leading metro infrastructure development firms, including Larsen & Toubro Limited and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, for conducting the feasibility study and construction work for the Patna metro project. The two most feasible routes for the metro corridor are Danapur to Patna City and Saguna More to Frazer Road.

Patna UA is already more than 2 million

If it is really true, then metro is urgently needed.

x-posting from Patna thread

The state government has released a global notice inviting proposal (NIP) to select a consultant for conducting technical and financial feasibility of the proposed metro or monorail project in the capital.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120129/images/29zzbhrmetrobig.jpg

“The burgeoning population of Patna has necessitated the need of a mass rapid transit system. The government is for the first time conducting a study to assess the feasibility of metro or monorail. We would start construction work depending upon the timely preparation of the feasibility report and its subsequent approval. It will not take much time though,” urban development minister Prem Kumar told The Telegraph.
March 12 has been fixed as the last date for submission of bids for the feasibility study. According to sources, the selected firm/consortia has to conduct topographical, demographical and traffic footprint survey and suggest route alignments, approach roads, locations of the proposed terminal stations along with feasible technology to be adopted for the rail system.
Following the submission of respective feasibility reports by the selected consultant, the urban development department would issue expression of interest for the construction of the metro rail project. The construction work can start at least after a year-and-a-half, depending upon timely actions.
Shashi Shekhar Sharma, principal secretary of the urban development department, told The Telegraph: “We are conducting an international competitive bidding for the selection of a firm or a consortia of firms, which would be entrusted with the task of conducting the techno-economic feasibility study for the proposed urban rail system in Patna.
The department issued the NIP on January 25 and the request- for-proposal documents would also be available on the department’s website within a couple of days.
The feasibility study would evaluate the viability of both metro and monorail or their combination in the capital. We would select the intending firm or the consortia by the end of March and the short listed company/consortium would be given six months’ time to furnish the respective report.”
Sharma is also the nodal officer of Patna Integrated Mass rapid Transport System (PIMRTS).
The metro rail project, to be undertaken in public-private-partnership mode, is being considered one of the options under the proposed PIMRTS.
According to sources, the urban development department has already been approached by many leading metro infrastructure development firms, including Larsen & Toubro Ltd and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for conducting the feasibility study and construction work for the Patna metro project.
The urban development department has received consent from the central planning commission for providing its technical support for the metro rail project. Official of the planning commission had held meetings with the state government in July and September last year.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar also gave a green signal for the Patna metro project in the November 2011.
According to the sources, the metro corridor is expected to cover 40-45 km in Patna in the first phase at an estimated cost of Rs 8,000 crore.
According to sources, the two most feasible routes at present are Danapur to Patna city via the banks of the Ganga and Saguna Mod to Fraser Road via Bailey Road. The two routes have an almost straight alignment and it would require minimum structural re-orientation during the infrastructure development for the metro corridors.


Telegraph:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120129/jsp/bihar/story_15064841.jsp

x-posting from Patna thread

The urban development and housing department has released the request for proposal (RFP) to select consultants for conducting technical and financial feasibility of the proposed metro rail project in the state capital. The RFP document that was released yesterday asserted that the state government, acting through the urban development department principal secretary, has taken up the project on a public-private partnership mode on design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis.
The indicative cost of the project is pegged at about Rs 6,000 crore.
The document added that the final feasibility report would include traffic and engineering surveys, alignment reviews, land plans and preliminary design of geometrics, location and layout of stations and maintenance depots.
“After receiving approval from the Planning Commission and later from chief minister Nitish Kumar on metro or mono rail in Patna, the department has invited bids from intending firms/ consortia, which would assess the technical feasibility and financial viability of the project,” a senior urban development department official said.
“The last date of submission of bids has been fixed as March 12 and work would be awarded to the selected firms/ consortia within the next 15 days. The final feasibility report would be required to be furnished within three months,” the official added.

Telegraph:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120206/jsp/bihar/story_15097016.jsp

NITISH CONSIDERS PATNA METRO IN THE TWELFTH FIVE YEAR PLAN.

NEW DELHI: Days after he broke away from the NDA over choice of the presidential poll nominee, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has managed to get the Centre to double the special assistance package to Rs 20,000 crore during the 12th five year (2012-17) plan.

The state will get Rs 4,000 crore every year as central package. Although the assistance was promised at the time of its separation from Jharkhand, it was pegged at Rs 10,000 crore during the 11th Plan period.

The increased support can somewhat offset Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's disappointment of the denial of special category status to the state as it did not meet the five parameters.

During a long negotiation with the Planning Commission here on Wednesday, Bihar CM also secured approval for Delhi-like metro rail network for Patna, as well as an airport proposed to be set up in his former Lok Sabha constituency of Nalanda.

What is being seen as "Bihar bonus" was revealed at the meeting with deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Kumar, where an annual plan of Rs 28,000 crore was finalized for the state for 2012-13, reflecting an increase in annual plan outlay by 30.9 % over last fiscal.

Kumar met Ahluwalia and the chairman of PM's economic advisory council, C Rangarajan, at a dinner hosted by JD(U) MP N K Singh on Wednesday. The bonhomie comes close on the heels of Kumar's support for Congress's nominee for presidential poll Pranab Mukherjee.

Ahluwalia assured Kumar that the ongoing special assistance package for the state would continue in the 12th plan. "The Commission would be shortly seeking Cabinet approval for the package," he said.

He announced that the Commission accepts Kumar's long-pending demand for flexibility in execution of centrally sponsored programmes. "It is broadly acceptable to the Commission and would be supported wherever possible," he said, lauding Bihar for fast catching up with other developed states.

Bihar CM told Plan panel that the state would be targeting a growth rate of 13% in the next plan, including 7% growth in agriculture for which a roadmap has been worked out.

Plan panel was informed that the projected outlay for the 11th Plan (2007-12) was Rs 76481.77 crore (at 2006-07 prices). The total provisional expenditure in 11th Plan is about 99.42% and the actual expenditure during the first four years is estimated at about 72%. The total outlay for 12th Plan has been projected at Rs 269458.50 crore representing an increase of 352.32%.

Kumar said that the major chunk of the total proposed outlay has been earmarked for social sector, primarily for education, health, water supply and sanitation. Around 37.78% of the total proposed outlay for the annual plan (2012-13) and 35.23% of the total proposed outlay for the 12th Plan has been earmarked for social sector.