Jaipur development body to take loan on behalf of JMRC for extension of metro.

A few months after the finance department gave necessary approval for construction of Line 1C and Line 1D of Jaipur Metro, the Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department has assigned Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) to take loan on behalf of Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (JMRCL) and fund the projects.

If sources are to be believed, the civic authority would soon apply for loan from National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB).

“The decision was taken in a recent high level meeting of UDH department. It was decided that JDA will take loan on behalf of JMRC because the latter doesn’t have credibility to take loan of such a huge amount.

It is common with transport corporations who often run in operational losses. JDA has this credibility because of its assets – mainly several land banks in its possession,” said a senior UDH department official.

On November 21, 2022, the finance department gave clearance for construction of Line 1C of Jaipur Metro.

This extension would connect a 2.26 km stretch from Badi to Transport Nagar on the Delhi-Agra Highway.

Earlier, on October 29, 2022 the department had given approval for Line 1D of Jaipur Metro in which metro services will be extended for a stretch of 1.3km from Mansarovar to Ajmer Road (200ft chauraha). Together these two projects would cost Rs. 1,198.32 crore.

Officials of the UDH department stated that while constructing Line 1A of Jaipur Metro – from Mansarovar to Chandpole – the government has funded the entire project cost of Rs. 2,023 crore.

Thereafter, for the extension of Line 1B – from Chandpole to Badi Chaupar – the government took soft loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Rs. 1,126 crore was spent to construct the 2.349km stretch.

ET