NOIDA: If all goes well, 81 year old metro man Elattuvalapil Shreedharan will join Noida Metro Rail Corporation. The Noida Authority has requested to join NMRC as advisor. The authority officials hope that E Sreedharan will not only help in execution but also bring positive sentiments.

Noida and Greater Noida Authority chairman and CEO Rama Raman told TOI that he has verbally requested E Sreedharan to join NMRC. “E Sreedharan recently had visited Noida. During his visit I had requested him to join NMRC as advisor. Soon we will in written will request Sreedharan,” Raman said.

“Since he has vast experience of building and running metro network, his guidance on NMRC will be crucial and valuable for us. E Sreedharan is a big name in the country and especially in terms of metro rail expension. His association will bring positive sentiments and it will also boost our moral,” Raman added.

E Shreedharan hails from Palakkad district in Kerala had served DMRC between 1995 and 2012.

NMRC’s first project will be of building -29 kilometers long metro link to connect Noida’s City Center to Greater Noida’s Bodaki. This 29 km long metro project will require a budget of R 5, 000 crore said officials.

Uttar Pradesh state cabinet is likely give its approval to NMRC in its first upcoming assembly session told officials.

“Once state cabinet approves the proposal pertaining to NMRC formation, it will be sent for further approvals by center. We want an expert like Shreedharan as an advisor so that NMRC’s quality of work reaches to the level of Delhi metro rail corporation (DMRC) that had built Delhi metro,” Raman further said.

“NMRC is likely to start functioning by the end of this year. UP cabinet has given its go ahead to NMRC formation in principal. The proposal will be moved for the Central government approval,” Raman said.

Raman said that the final touch is being given to the proposal. “We are exploring all options to raise fund. Some rules and condition were also discussed and finally incorporated in the final proposal.” Notably the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Jawed Usmani had announced that a 29.5km Metro rail route will come up between Boraki and Noida city centre to link Noida and Greater Noida. Usmani said that it is the need of time to expand the metro route to de-congest the city roads, increase connectivity and smoothen traffic. “Work on the proposed line was likely to be completed by 2017. A total of Rs 5,000 crore would be spent on the ambitious Metro rail link. The project would be developed on the lines of the proposed Metro projects in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, West Bengal and Kerala.”

Right after the UP government gave its in principle approval to NMRC formation and expedited work 29km metro link, realtors in both Noida and Greater Noida welcomed the decision and hoping that this decision will charge the market.

“This decision will not only enhance the connectivity of the region and strengthen the capital values of real estate. Formation of NMRC will be a bench mark for the development of entire UP because teh NMRC will not only reduce to Noida but it will also cater other cities also. Metro connectivity along Noida Expressway including Greater Noida, will infuse a positive sentiment into real estate market,” said Vijay Gupta of Assocham.

“Expansion of metro rail in Noida and Greater Noida is a very positive step towards adding to the better infrastructure, this region provides. The enhancement is important to make sure the region is future ready. With good connectivity, more and more home aspirants will choose to make their dream home in these two cities,” Brijesh Bhanote, director of the ‘The 3C Company’.

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