NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday accorded approval to three big-ticket Metro projects for prominent cities – Bengaluru, Pune and Thane costing Rs 30,765 crore and two airports for Patna in Bihar and Bagdogra in West Bengal, which are currently handling commercial flights primarily being a defence facility.The decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While briefing about the decisions, union minister for information and broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that under the phase III of the Bangalore Metro Rail Project approved on Friday, there will be two elevated corridors comprising a length of 44.65 kilometres (kms) with 31 stations.On operationalisation of Phase-3, Bengaluru city will have 220.20 Km of active Metro Rail Network. The total completion cost of the project is Rs 15,611 crore.The Cabinet also approved the Swargate to Katraj Underground Line Extension of the existing PCMC-Swargate Metro Line of Pune Metro Phase-I project. This new extension is known as the Line-l B extension and will span 5.46 km and will include three underground stations, connecting key areas such as Market Yard, Bibwewadi, Balaji Nagar, and the Katraj suburbs.The project, aimed at providing seamless connectivity in Pune, is set to be completed by February, 2029. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,954.53 crore.The third project is the Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail Project corridor. The 29-km corridor will run along the periphery of the west side of Thane city with 22 Stations. The network is encompassed by Ulhas River on one side and Sanjay Gandhi National Park [SGNP] on the other. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 12,200.10 crore, with equal equity from the Centre and Government of Maharashtra as well as part-funding from bilateral agencies.“Metro is operational in 21 cities at present. Just 10 years, it was in only five cities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always taken care of the middle class. Metro is an affordable, safe and comfortable mode of transportation for the middle class. Bengaluru is an IT hub and has several start-ups. It is a major employment hub and rapidly growing city. The third phase will connect the entire existing metro network in a logical way,” said the minister. With Phase-3 as an extension to the Metro Rail network in the Bengaluru city is expected to alleviate traffic congestion and will be particularly impactful on heavily congested routes of the Outer Ring Road West, Magadi road and other major arterial roads of the city. Reduction in road traffic can lead to smoother movement of vehicles, reduction in travel time, increasing overall road safety.The Swargate to Katraj Underground Line Extension will enhance connectivity between the southernmost part of Pune, the northern parts of Pune and the eastern and western regions via the District Court interchange station, providing seamless connectivity for commuting within and outside Pune City. The project will be executed by Maha-Metro, which will oversee civil, electro-mechanical, and other associated facilities and works. Maha-Metro has already begun pre-bid activities and is preparing tender documents, with contracts expected to be floated for bidding shortly. This strategic expansion is expected to unlock Pune’s economic potential, providing a significant boost to the city’s infrastructure and contributing to its sustainable development, read a statement of the Government.“Thane is one of the fastest growing cities in Maharashtra. The city and its vicinity is developing into a major commercial and industrial hub. Its population is also increasing. Roads in this thickly populated city are narrow. Keep all this in mind, the Ring Metro concept has been approved for Thane. It will connect other Metro and suburban lines,” said Vaishnaw. The Bagdogra airport, once completed with a cost of Rs 1,549 crore, the capacity of the civil aviation facility will increase to 25 lakh to 1 crore per annum. It is expected to be completed by 2027. The Bihta Airport capacity will be 50 lakh per annum and it will be completed by 2026 with a cost of Rs 1,413 crore.
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