The project office of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the implementation of the proposed monorail system in Kozhikode has been opened.

The office will undertake the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR), which will be submitted to the State Government by June 15. If accepted, global tenders would be floated for the execution of the project, which was expected to be commissioned within three years, according to Mr E. Sreedharan, former chief of DMRC.

Company formed

Mr V.K. Ebrahim Kunju, Minister for Public Works, who inaugurated the office here on Friday, said that the State had formed a company for the implementation of the project with the Chief Minister as the chairman and other Ministers and heads of various departments as directors.

Mr Sreedharan said that DMRC had already completed the field survey for the Rs 1,750-crore project that would stretch 13.5 km in the first phase. An estimated 1.3 lakh passengers could use it on a daily basis.

The core of the project will be train-sets for the monorail and at present, three companies each from Malaysia, Germany and Japan supplied them worldwide. Only after finalising the supply of the train-sets, the signalling system and civil engineering design will be decided, he said.

The company selected for the implementation of the project through the tender is proposed to put in 50 per cent of the investment.

Land acquisition

Mr Sreedharan pointed out that only 20 per cent of the required land for the project had to be acquired as the remaining 80 per cent was in the possession of the Public Works Department. The land acquisition process would be completed within the next 15 days.

The proposal is to set up 15 stations over the stretch. The whole project had been conceived in such a way that it would not turn into a liability for the people or the government, Mr Sreedharan added.

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