Title - 2.5.DMRC to 'participate' in Kochi Metro project: Chandy

Kerala government today succeeded in ensuring the "participation" of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in executing the Kochi Metro project.     After his meetings with Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit here, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and state Transport Minister Aryadan Mohammed, however, did not clarify the questions whether DMRC will take over the Rs 5,182 crore project as per the wish of people of the state.     Chandy said the Centre has assured DMRC's "participation" in implementing the project and a three-member committee consisting of Union Urban Development Ministry Secretary and Chief Secretaries of Delhi and Kerala will work out the details of the participatory role of DMRC.     Aryadan said the project will be executed under the leadership of former DMRC Chief E Sreedharan.He said the project will be completed as proposed and there was no cause for any anxiety. The Kerala leaders' meeting with Nath and Dikshit came as the DMRC board of directors decided to meet in Delhi next week to decide on its role in execution of the Kochi Metro project.The Kerala Chief Minister had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Kamal Nath expressing his desire that DMRC take over the Kochi Metro project.     The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone for the Kochi Metro Project in September.Chandy had in a recent letter to Sheila Dikshit asked her to permit DMRC to take up work on Kochi Metro and monorail projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode in view of the decision that DMRC needed permission of its board directors to take up projects outside Delhi.