Chandigarh metro DPR yet to be filed, Centre tells Lok Sabha
Responding to a series of questions raised by Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari during the ongoing session, the ministry of housing and urban affairs revealed that the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) — set up for overseeing the metro project — has convened only three meetings in the past 27 months.
Tewari sought updates on the number of UMTA meetings held since its formation, the review status of the latest feasibility study conducted by RITES, and whether any joint proposal had been submitted by Punjab, Haryana and the Chandigarh Administration. He also inquired about the timeline for DPR completion and the cost-sharing formula among stakeholders.
In its written response, the ministry stated that the UMTA was constituted by the Chandigarh Administration on April 28, 2023. Since then, meetings were held on July 18, 2023, December 13, 2023, and September 2, 2024.
The Centre reiterated that urban transport planning falls primarily under the purview of state governments and union territories, with the Centre offering guidance through policy frameworks such as the National Urban Transport Policy (2006), the Metro Rail Policy (2017), and the Transit-Oriented Development Policy (2017). Financial assistance, it added, is extended only upon the receipt of concrete proposals.
Tokhan Sahu, minister of state for housing and urban affairs, informed the House that the detailed project report (DPR) for the Chandigarh Metro has not yet been submitted to the central government. Moreover, no details were provided regarding the estimated cost of the project or any financial collaboration model among the stakeholders.
At the same time, the tricity's growing traffic woes remain unresolved. In June this year the project received a fresh green signal from Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) in its latest report, where it indicated a positive economic viability. In February this year, however, RITES was told to re-examine its metro ridership estimate of 11.3 lakh passengers per year in a meeting that the then Haryana transport additional chief secretary Ashok Khemka chaired.
In April, the Union ministry had also stated in Parliament that no DPR had been received.
₹25,000–30,000 crore price tag likely
The cost is likely to decide the fate of the project. Estimates suggest the cost could range between ₹25,000 crore and ₹30,000 crore, depending on the ratio of underground to elevated sections.
Phase 1 of the project is expected to be completed by 2032 with construction starting in 2027, provided all approvals are secured. Under this phase, a stretch of 85.65 km has been planned, comprising both overhead and underground routes, with 16.5 km of underground route falling in the heritage sectors.
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