New Delhi: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said India is the third largest operating metro system in the world, with 1,011 km in length, and sought the support of state governments to overtake the US to become the world’s second-largest network.
Replying to supplementaries in the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour, the minister said land and urban transport are state subjects, but the central government supports states in establishing metro networks in terms of financial support and funding from external agencies.
The minister said he cannot give an assurance to a member of Parliament on a capital-intensive project, as the projects require detailed examination in terms of finances and feasibility. He also urged states to send detailed project reports, along with relevant documentation, to enable the Centre to examine them expeditiously.
He was responding to a question on the metro rail project in Chennai, cleared by the Union Cabinet last October.
Puri was also asked about clearing pending projects for the Madurai and Coimbatore metro projects, to which the minister said he cannot give an assurance without a proper examination of the projects. “We started metro projects in 2002 at the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Today, we have 1,011 km of metro projects operating in 23 cities. In addition to that, we have another 979 km under construction. Metro is either in operation or under construction in 29 cities in the country,” he told the members in the Upper House.
He said that between 2002 and today, India has the third largest operating metro system in the world after China and the US, and we are at 1,011 km, and America at about 1,400 km.
“In becoming the second largest network of urban transport...we need the cooperation of state governments. We have all state governments cooperating with us, some more effectively than others. I find that when proposals are sent to us in a comprehensive way, then the chances of the proposal getting approved is higher,” Puri said, adding that he was responding on behalf of his colleague Manohar Lal, who was not present in the House.
To a question on the minister giving an assurance on Madurai and Coimbatore projects, the minister said, “It is not my job as a cabinet minister to give assurances on the floor of Parliament without the proposal having examined and the implications having examined”.
He stressed that all capital-intensive projects will go through detailed scrutiny, and only then, they will be approved. Each project is evaluated in terms of its viability.
He said that for any metro project to progress, it is important that the central government receives a detailed project.
The DPR from Madurai and Coimbatore had a composite mobility plan missing at that time, he stressed, adding that all state government should forward their plans with proper documentation.
“In Delhi, we have about 400 km in NCR region and at any given day, we have more than 70 lakh people using the metro system,” he said while giving an example of a successful transport system.
Puri said that he has been on record saying that whatever we wanted to do for Delhi in terms of improving transport facilities, “It was derailed for want of support of Delhi government”.
“It is more about RRTS, we were able to get it done, as the Delhi government was not forthcoming with the finances,” he claimed. He said the central government approved 28.5 Km for the metro system in Gurugram and the NCRTC corridor, connecting Gurugram, was kept on hold by the AAP government for three years.
“Now with the change in the government in Delhi, I am sure we will be able to get this done as well. We could not have moved from zero in 2002 to 1,011 km unless the state governments cooperated,” he noted.
Speaking about the Chennai metro project, the minister, who held the charge of Housing and Urban Development earlier, on behalf of his colleague Manohar Lal Khattar said the Chennai metro has a long history, and the proposal was originally sent to us in 2017 for 107 km of metro at a cost of Rs 85,000 crore. “This proposal was returned to the Tamil Nadu government as it was not accompanied by all the documents required to assess a project of this magnitude. In 2018, the government of Tamil Nadu proceeded with the project of its own as a state project. “Then in January 2019, it was resubmitted to the Centre for 118.9 km with a reduced cost of Rs 69,180 crore against Rs 85,000 crore earlier. The Government of Tamil Nadu finally submitted a proposal for 118.9 km length at a sanctioned cost of Rs 63,246 crore, as per a joint project.
“This project was approved in October 2024 for Rs 63,246 crore, of which the Government of India’s contribution is Rs 7,424 crores in equity and subordinate debt. No funds demand has been received from the chief minister. We have already released Rs 5,000 crore and over Rs 33,000 crore has been financed through external funding agencies,” he noted.