NOIDA: The change of guard in national capital has sparked hopes of a speedier Metro expansion in Uttar Pradesh. The UP-NCR development authorities have formed teams to follow up matters with Delhi government.

Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit had earlier remarked DMRC should avoid work outside Delhi putting a spanner in UP-NCR Metro expansion. “We were skeptical about approvals from DMRC and the Centre. Now that Aam Aadmi Party has come to power and Arvind Kejriwal is a development-oriented person, Metro projects will also be expedited,” a Greater Noida Authority official said.

The Greater Noida Authority chairman has declared the Authority will lay the foundation stone of a 30km long Metro link between Noida’s City Centre and Greater Noida’s Bodaki next year. “My resolution for 2014 is that two authorities—Noida and Greater Noida—will start work for a 30km long Metro link next year. We will soon decide the date of the stone laying ceremony,” Rama Raman, chairman of three authorities—Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority, said.

The link from Noida to Greater Noida has been approved by UP Cabinet at Rs 5,000 crore. “The Centre will approve these two projects very soon. We have communicated legal as well as planning issues to the union urban development ministry. Once formation of NMRC gets the green nod, we will start work,” Raman said.

Dikshit had directed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation not to take up Metro extension outside Delhi, especially UP, in places ruled by political parties other than Congress. To speed up the project, the Authority announced the formation of Noida Metro Rail Company at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. The Noida Authority and UP government have completed all formalities for NMRC formation.

The authority has requested former DMRC managing director E Sreedharan to join NMRC as advisor. “We will finalize the name of the NMRC managing director soon,” Raman said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/Change-of-guard-in-Delhi-to-fast-track-Metro-in-UP/articleshow/28120761.cms