DMRC to prepare report on Vizag metro rail project

Visakhapatnam: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporat-ion is now going to scrap the bids, invited earlier, for preparing Detailed Project Report of the proposed Vizag Metro Rail as the state government had entrusted the task to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

It may be recalled that the GVMC had invited global tenders for preparing detailed project report for the Metro Rail project and received bids from six multinational organisations. It was proposed to take up the DPR for a stre-tch of 20 km with Rs 1.60 cr.

The Corporation has received bids from RITES, a Government of India enterprise; Systra group; SREI infrastructure finance Limited; Hyderabad based Aarvee Associates; Delhi-based LEA Associ-ates South Asia Private Limited and US-based AECOM Consultants for preparing the detailed project report.

Recently, the state government appointed a seven -member committee in which the chief engineer or equivalent official from Delhi Metro Rail Corporat-ion (DMRC), Professor or Head of the Department (Planning), from School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Vijayawada; Professor in Urban Transport from the CEPT University, Ahmedabad; PPP Expert or any other member suggested by the government of Andhra Pradesh; Chief City Planner, GVMC; Chief Urban Planner, Visakhapa-tnam Urban Development Authority were the members and Chief Engineer of the GVMC had to act as member convener.

The committee has to scrutinise the bids by organising presentations on both technical and financial aspects. But with the decision of the state government the tender process is likely to be discarded.

Further, Mr E. Sreedha-ran has been appointed as advisor for the Metro Rail projects.

GVMC Chief Engineer B. Jayaram Reddy, said there would be no further consultancy finalization process since the Government-run institution has been entrusted for preparing the report.