JAIPUR: Urban Development and Housing (UDH) minister Shanti Dhariwal on
Friday assured that the current price rise in building materials and
inflation will not be allowed to become a cause for delay in the Metro
project.

During a visit to the metro sites on Friday, the
minister informed that a meeting was held between contractors, UDH
department officials, Delhi Metro (DMRC) and Jaipur Metro (JMRC)
officials to come out with ways and means so that the construction can
be completed on time.

While talking to the media Dhariwal said,
“The state government will solve the situation amiably and work will be
completed within the given deadline – June 2013. We are having meeting
with the contractors on a regular basis and the state government will
help them to overcome the situation.”

The minister asserted that
the DMRC and the contractors will be hold responsible if there is a
delay after so much efforts. Supporting the minister’s statement, DMRC
managing director Mangu Singh said, “The work will be completed within
the deadline. We had a meeting with the minister on Thursday and
assurance has been given to the people after our commitment.”

With the rise in prices of steel and cement recently, the input cost of
construction for the project has increased. This has affected the
project badly as contractors believe the project as a loss-making effort
and so they have started showing less interest.

Jaipur Metro,
if completed on time, could make a world record for the fastest
construction of a Metro rail project. So far, the project has witnessed
many stumbling blocks. Work at several sites on the 9.25 km-long stretch
from Mansarovar to Chandpole came to a halt after the Rajasthan high
court banned mining from Banas river in May.

Similarly, work
between Shyam Nagar and Ram Nagar stations was delayed as the land owner
of Dhamani Garden, where rehabilitation for residents of 12 houses of
Ved Vatika colony was proposed, moved court.

According to a DMRC
official, the corporation was planning to complete the civil work
before December 2012 when an inspection team from the Research Design and Standards Organisation
(RDSO) will conduct a number of oscillation trials. However, due to
delay in the land transfer process earlier, the trial run of Jaipur
Metro has to be delayed by two months.

DMRC officials claimed
that land acquisition led to a three-month delay. “We are hopeful to
complete the work before June 2013. But the time given for the project
was very demanding and filled with interruptions which made it more
challenging. We are taking all the measures to complete it in the
stipulated time,” DMRC project director Lalit Meghnani said.