National

Japan offers to fund Phase-II of Delhi Metro

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JAN. 7. The Japanese Foreign Minister, Yoriko Kawaguchi, today said that her country would consider financing Phase II of the Delhi Metro rail project as and when a formal representation was made by the Central Government.

Speaking to presspersons during a ride on the Delhi Metro, Ms. Kawaguchi said Japan was open to the idea of further financing the project. On other aspects of her country's investment in India, she said health, sanitation and water were areas of primary interest for Japan here.

Earlier, Ms. Kawaguchi reached the Kashmere Gate station where she was received by the Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, E. Sreedharan. After purchasing her own ticket she entered the paid area and inspected the various systems. On the platform, Mr. Sreedharan explained to her the project with the help of maps installed there. She was also shown photographs of actual construction besides charts depicting the benefits and funding of the project, and the support plan from the Japanese Government for higher technology use.

Ms. Kawaguchi travelled from Kashmere Gate to Seelampur where she saw the exterior of the station and learnt about various development plans of the Delhi Metro for the surroundings of the stations.

Mr. Sreedharan said that for Phase I of the project, Japan had agreed in principle to finance the new Barakhamba Road-Dwarka line — which was not there in the original plan and had replaced the Connaught Place-Nangloi corridor. Since due to the change the cost of the project had increased by around Rs. 1,200 crores, he said, Japanese contribution would be around Rs. 580 crores.

As for Phase II, he said that the lines had been identified and a detailed project report was being prepared. "Once the report is completed, it would be submitted to the Government for approval. And then it would be for the Government to approach Japan for aid.''

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