Nagpur: ” Since NMRCL was incorporated in February 2015 and I joined as M.D. we have been making progress as per schedule and as governed by norms prescribed for us. If a Parliamentary Committee has found that we have made 10% progress in a year that should be very laudable! The Nagpur metro is an approximately Rs. 8000 crore project and 10% work means work worth Rs.80 crores. That is a lot of work.” Said Brijesh Dixit, M.D. of Nagpur Metro reacting to a local English daily’s report of May 9th stating that a Standing Committee of Parliamentary on Urban development that the physical progress of the project is lagging and they are unhappy about it.
“The reporting in the daily is anamolous; in fact it is self contradictory” says Dixit speaking exclusively to Nagpur Today Associate Editor Sunita Mudaliar.
The report first says that the Committee is unhappy that the Special Purpose Vehicle is yet to be institutionalized and the very next paragraph says that Nagpur Metro Rail Project has been institutionalized on February 18th 2015 and the very day an M.D. also joined his post.
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“So how can they complain that a SV has not been constituted?” Asks Brijesh Dixit.
He goes on to point that the Standing Committee itself, headed by Pinaki Mishra and comprising of other M.P.s like Ashok Chavan, Poonam Mahajan etc. has itself stated that the progress observed in one year is 10%.
“Nowhere is it mentioned that the Committee thinks this progress is slow” points out the M.D. who is busy today with the German team that is in Nagpur since they have announced a special loan for the Nagpur metro that was announced at a glittering function at a local hotel and was attended by Maharashtra C.M. Devendra Fadnavis as well as Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
In fact both these dignitaries had congratulated the Nagpur Metro team on progress made and had made announcements to make it more people-friendly by making some changes in the tracks and stations.
“Often there is a time lag on when such committees make their survey and submit the reports” said Dixit but also averred that he had received no first hand feedback of any such survey done by a Parliamentary commitee, either from Delhi or from Mumbai.
The M.D. said that work on both North- South and East – West is going as per schedule and work is progressing on 40% of the lines to be laid.
He also said that for a Metro rail project, funding and land acquisition are two most important elements, which the NMRCL team has managed to achieve through successful tie-up. More than 80 per cent of project land is in possession and construction work has already commenced for car depots and a 12-km rail section. Nagpur has huge roads as the city serves as a transportation hub for the country so buidling the Rail corridors on the road medians will not be a problem.
Multilateral funding agencies, including KFW of Germany and AFD of France, have already begin disbursing loans as promised, said Dixit so there are no cash flow problems either as some sources have pointed out.
In fact Brijesh Dixit is an ex Railway man who has been known for his dynamic work style and delivering within deadlines. His team has nothing but praise for his style fo working and his leadership.
… as told to Sunita Mudaliar
