A Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Housing and Urban Affairs (2021-22) on 'Implementation of Metro Rail Projects - An Appraisal, in its report said that despite a lapse of more than four years, six of the 12 States where Metro rail networks are either operational or under construction were yet to constitute Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) as a statutory body. These six States are -- National Capital Territory of Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra (in Mumbai only) and Rajasthan.

 As per Metro Rail Policy, 2017, state governments are required to constitute UMTA as a statutory body for preparation of a comprehensive mobility plan for the city.

 "The committee, however, found that despite a lapse of more than four years, out of 12 states where Metro rail network had either commenced or was under construction, six states were yet to constitute UMTA, viz.,  NCT of Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra (in r/o Mumbai only) and Rajasthan," according to an official statement.

 The committee, therefore, recommended the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to "take up and encourage setting up of UMTA in the states…without any further delay", it said.

"Noting the capital intensive nature of metro projects, the Committee recommended adoption of less capital intensive MetroLite and MetroNeo networks in smaller cities with low ridership, and as feeder to high capacity metro systems," the statement said.

 Noting that currently, metro rail projects are being governed by three central acts, the committee felt the need for a single and comprehensive legislation, as many metro projects are under planning, development and operating phases in different cities under different models viz. Exclusive ownership of state governments, JV (joint venture) with central government, PPP (public private partnership) basis, private ownership, etc. And many more cities are expected to take up the different kinds of metro projects- MRTS, LRTS  MetroLite, MetroNeo, etc., it further said.

 The panel also said barring Delhi Metro and Mumbai's Line 1, many operational metros vis. Bengaluru Metro, Hyderabad Metro, Lucknow Metro, Chennai Metro, Kolkata Metro and Kochi Metro, had "low ridership leading to delay in achieving break-even".

 The committee, therefore, recommended the need for increasing ridership, as per the statement.