No delay; Kochi Metro is on track

NEW DELHI Kochi Metro is going to be a reality soon. The crucial meeting of the Public Investment Board (PIB), which is expected to give the final nod to thestate’s ‘dream project’, will be held this month itself. After the PIB approval, theproject will be put up for Cabinet nod. There were rumours that the PIB meetingwill be delayed in the run-up to the Budget. “The PIB meeting will beheld as per schedule. There is no link between Budget preparations and PIB meeting,” said an official with the Urban Development Ministry, who is in-charge of the Metro Project. He said the Ministry is in the process of preparing a draft note on Kochi Metro which will be sent to other ministries concerned.“Once we get the response from other ministries, the date of PIB will be finalised. We hope that this will not take more than two weeks,” the Ministry official said. Meanwhile, the state govt submitted a revised DetailedProject Report to the Urban Development Ministry. Kochi Metro MD Tom Jose, who submitted the report, said the revised DPR has proposed trains with five coaches. The earlier proposal was for three coaches.