With promise to give lucknow its own rapid transit system within next three years, the foundation stone of the depot for North South corridor of lucknow Metro Project was conducted by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party Suprimo Mulayam Singh Yadav and Cabinet Minister Azam Khan on Monday.
The tech-savvy ceremony also felt the presence of 'Metro Man' and Principal Advisor of lucknow metro project E Shreedharan, who attended the function through video conference from his village in Kerala, where he is working over Kochi Metro.
While conversing with the Chief Minister and other senior ministers, Shreedharan congratulated the Chief Minister for giving preference to the metro project in the city and stated that he will look that it is made operational within next three years.
"I appreciate your bold decision to provide world class metro to lucknow and I am happy and obliged to gain the associate with the project. lucknow is fastest growing city in the country and a fast public transport system is essential for any city for its economic growth. Its a landmark even for lucknow, to lay the foundation stone for the first phase of the project and we are all very keen to start the work quickly. With your help and assistance of people of lucknow, we will begin the work quickly and see that it is made operational within next three years. Just like what had been achieved in Delhi will be repeated here in lucknow," said Shreedharan, to which the Chief Minster replied, "Thank you so much Sir".
The CM also added that the people of UP and lucknow are grateful to Er. Shreedharan that he has accepted to take up the project and invited him to the city for a proper welcoming.
Mulayam Singh Yadav stated that a he will write to the Government of India and insist to enlist Padamvibhushan Shreedharan for Bhatrat Ratna. He also called upon the chief Minster and his cabinet to work three shifts a day to complete the work within 18 months instead of three years.
"When I was Chief Minister, we use to lay foundation stone after the scheme was initiated, the chief minister must state when the work will be started. I should be started from tomorrow, don't make people wait for three years, construct it within half of that time so that some of our ancestors who are still alive may also see metro in lucknow" said Yadav Senior.
The Minster of state for external Aided Project Madhukar Jaitley stated that they had completed all the required paperwork that includes getting no objection certificate from 20 department an w the team metro is ready to dig the first shovel on the ground.
"Total 54 countries in the world have metro train, out of which India comes in top 10 due to the effort of Er Sreedharan. Now the same chapter will be repeated in the state and then following lucknow, Kanpur , Agra and Varanasi are in the row to get their personal metro project" said Jaitley.
Designer of lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (lMRC) logo, Pooja Yadav was also felicitated with momento, certificate and the cash prize of Rs 2 lakh on the occasion. Out of 3000 entries, Pooja Yadav's design was finalised and officially inaugurated by the Chief Minister few days back. The cash prize initially announced was Rs 20000, which was added with another 'zero' as an appreciation.
lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (lMRC) will be developing metro depot at around 53 acres of land of 32nd PAC Batallion at Kanpur Road, from where the 22.8 Kms of north south corridor from Airport to Munshi Pulia will be developed. Worth Rs 6880 crore, there will be total 22 stations in the North-South corridor of lucknow Metro Project, out of which 3 will be underground and 19 will be alleviated.