Centre weighing multiple factors before clearing Vizag Metro: BJP State chief

The Centre is closely examining commuter traffic patterns, financial viability, and return on investment before taking a final call on the Visakhapatnam Metro Rail project, BJP State president P.V.N. Madhav said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media at the party office, Mr. Madhav said several metro rail projects across the country were running at a loss, prompting the Union government to exercise caution while approving new proposals.

He pointed out that residents of Visakhapatnam, by and large, were not heavily dependent on public transport, which he said worked against the case for a metro rail system at present.

However, Mr. Madhav said the situation could change once the Bhogapuram international airport becomes operational. Improved connectivity between Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Anakapalli districts would boost regional mobility and could then create a stronger case for a mass public transport system such as the metro.

He said the State government had already submitted the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Visakhapatnam Metro Rail project and that the proposal was under active consideration by the Central government.

Mr. Madhav also said that 14 Road Over Road (ROR) projects had been sanctioned for Visakhapatnam, while a total of 118 such projects had been approved for Andhra Pradesh.

The BJP leader said around 25,000 awareness meetings would be organised across the State from January 8 to publicise the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G). He accused Congress leaders of spreading misinformation about the programme and alleged that the MGNREGS was plagued by irregularities. BJP Visakhapatnam district president M.N.M. Parasurama Raju was present on the occasion.