Many companys want to take Vizag metro contract : Narayana

Five infrastructure companies — Adani Enterprises, Tata’s TRIL Urban Transport, Shapoorji Pallonji and Company, Essel Infraprojects and IL&FS Rail — have evinced interest in developing the Visakhapatnam Metro Rail project in the public-private partnership mode.

Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development P. Narayana in a release said that the Urban Mass Transit Company (UMTC), appointed as transaction advisor for the project by the Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation, on Tuesday opened the proposals submitted by the five companies to the request for proposals called in September last year.

“ Participation of such reputed companies in the bid is a clear indication that the PPP model adopted by the government is a viable one for the project and it will succeed,” Mr. Narayana maintained.

In another 15 to 20 days, the proposals would be examined to short list eligible bidders and with the approval of the State government short-listed companies would be announced after a month, the release said.

It would take another five months for the UMTC to select a suitable developer for the project. The rail project, worth ?8,800 crore, is initially designed with three corridors of 42.5 km length.

Under the PPP, the government proposed to fund civil infrastructure expenditure and the private developer is expected to develop non-civil infrastructure, operate and maintain for 35 years.