Bihar cabinet gives approval to Patna Metro project

The Bihar cabinet has given its nod to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Patna Metro Rail Project. "The DPR of the Patna Metro Rail project was approved in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The decision was much awaited," said the official in the chief minister's office. The proposal on the Rs 16,960 crore project will now be sent for clearance to the BJP-led Narendra Modi government. Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) last year submitted the DPR to the Bihar government. Bihar Urban Development Minister Maheshwar Hazari said the metro project was a priority for the state government, which was keen to begin construction as soon as possible. An official of the urban development department said the state government would now work to declare Patna a metropolis to help speed up the metro rail project, which initially would have two routes. A corporation on the lines of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation would be formed for monitoring its construction, he added.