New metro policy to bring pvt investments: Tomar

Indore : Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar today said the new metro policy will help in the expanding this mode of transport in the cities and bringing private investments, that will lead to uniformity in the metro projects nationwide.

“As per the new policy, the private investment will increase in the metro projects and it will facilitate rail operation and promote competitiveness. Besides, it will also bring in uniformity in the metro projects,” Tomar told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

“Under the new policy, the states have been given more powers. We want to boost the social and economic development through metros in cities,” the urban development minister added. He said that an authority would be constituted to decide the fares of the metro train under the new policy.

Tomar said that they were looking for the institution to provide loan of Rs 14,485.55 crore for the ambitious metro projects in Indore and Bhopal after the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) refused to fund these projects. The new policy has opened up new avenues for investment in metro projects, he added.

“Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is very excited over the metro projects in both the cities. As soon as the MP government sends a proposal under the new policy, we will evaluate and approve it,” the minister added.

When asked he denied that the BJP has taken a U-turn on the 75-year formula that forbade leaders not to contest elections or hold post, after party chief Amit Shah clarified that the party had not set any such upper age limit.

“There is no U-turn on the issue. Shah meant that if the party wants, even a 77-year old can contest elections. What is wrong in it?,” he said. Addressing a press conference in Bhopal two days ago, Shah said there was “no rule or tradition in the BJP to forbid leaders from contesting polls or holding a cabinet post after they attain the age of 75”.