COIMBATORE: Almost a year after the state government announced its plan to introduce Monorail transport corridor in the city, the municipal corporation is finally gearing up towards this end. The corporation will seek approval from the elected council in the next meeting to float tenders for appointing consultants to prepare a detailed Project Report pertaining to feasibility.

After obtaining the council's green signal the proposal will be forwarded to Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited (TUFISIL) and a tender will be floated inviting proposals from interested firms to quote their price for preparing the project report.

"We are planning to discuss the monorail project during the next corporation council meeting. It will be forwarded to Managing Director of TUFISIL after getting the council's approval," said TK Ponnusamy, Commissioner, Coimbatore Municipal Corporation.

The monorail is expected to be the biggest project implemented within city limits. Corporation officials claimed that once the initial Project Report is drafted based on a feasibility study, including route mapping and land acquisition requirement, the project will begin.

"It will be a complex process. We have to identify the most feasible routes where the project could be implemented so that it could cater to maximum people. The infrastructure requirements, including the beam support line and stations along the path would also have to be identified. Land acquisition must also be looked at," Ponnusamy added.

The corporation officials also added that only consultants with prior experience in conceiving metro or monorail projects in other parts of the country will be selected after scrutinizing the tenders. The initial DPR prepared after conducting field study in the city would be finalised only after seeking response and grievances from the public.

"The initial project report will be a provisional DPR and will be finalised only after seeking the views of residents and other stakeholders," Ponnusamy said.

The cost estimate and other details about the project are expected to be finalised in the coming days. The AIADMK government had announced a Monorail project for Coimbatore soon after coming to power last year. The former DMK government had earlier announced Metro rail network for Coimbatore and Madurai which now seems to have been shelved.