Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has has presented the Union Finance Budget in the Lower House of Parliament and also allocated a total of `19,518 crore to all metro projects across India for 2023-24.
However, the revised Budget estimates for the same for 2022-23 was `15,628 crore, according to Budget documents. In recent years, the Union Ministry of Finance has been allocating budget for all metro projects in India, instead of the Delhi Metro's alone, a senior official at the Delhi Metro said.
The outlay for this year includes equity investment of `4,471 crore, subordinate debt ` 1,324 crore and pass through assistance of `13,723 crore. The Centre has allocated Rs 3,596 crore to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) for the country's first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, a fall of about 23 per cent from the outlay in the previous budget.
In the Budget 2022-23, the Government had also allocated `4,710 crore to the NCRTC. More than 14,000 workers and 1100 engineers are working day and night at various sites. So far, construction of 65% elevated viaduct, in addition of 35% of underground section (tunnel) have been completed for the corridor.
The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor is being constructed at a rapid pace at various locations. Stations on the corridor are taking shape specially the stations of the priority section, the NCRTC said in a statement after the Budget speech on Wednesday.
With a design speed of 180 kmph and operational speed of 160 kmph, the RRTS trains will be unique and one of its kinds in India.