Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (JMRCL) officials are apprehensive about the fate of Line-2 of Jaipur Metro as the state government is ‘still showing no interest’ in the project and project cost is escalating.
Officials said as per the initial Detailed Project Report (DPR), the cost for Line-2 was almost Rs 10,000 crore. Since the government was reluctant to spend such a huge amount, Metro officials prepared another DPR in 2021 in which the project cost came down to around Rs 4,600 crore.
“A year has passed since then and still the government has shown no interest about Line-2. Chances are high that with time, this revised project cost would also accelerate,” said a senior Metro official.
The 23. 51km Line-2 would connect India Gate (Sitapura Industrial Area) with Ambabadi, passing through the city’s main commercial areas on Tonk Road.
It means this line would be more important than Line-1that presently connects Mansarovar with Badi Choupar.
However, sources in JMRCL said several features in Line-2 have been omitted in the revised DPR to make way for the project at an affordable cost.
“In the revised DPR it has been decided that entire Line-2 stretch would be elevated and there won’t be any underground stations. Second, we have also realigned the metro route to bring down the cost. Third, it has been decided that the size of stations in Line-2 would be much smaller than those of Line-1.
It means, effectively less amenities would be available at the stations in Line-2,” a Metro official added.
There is another issue that is keeping the Metro officials at bay.
Line-2 would pass through Laxmi Mandir Tiraha where Jaipur Development Authority is executing a Signal Free Traffic Project.
“In all probability, this project might force us to change alignment again. We are yet not sure how much effect it would have on the project cost,” the Metro official signed off.