Title - Government fast-tracks mass rapid transit projects, appoints managing director

GURGAON: To fast-track the mass rapid transit projects in state and for better coordination with Delhi Metro for its extension to the NCR cities, the Haryana government made the formal appointment of managing director (MD) for the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Ltd (HMRTC). Considering the role that the state's industrial agency HSIIDC will play in this crucial venture since the MRTS stretches would connect future industrial townships, HSIIDC managing director Rajiv Arora has been given the additional job. Arora could not be contacted since he is out of the country."The reasoning behind the establishment of HMRTC is to ensure better coordination with all agencies. We are hopeful of extending Delhi Metro from Faridabad to Ballabhgarh and similarly from Gurgaon to Manesar. While these projects will need coordination with DMRC we have to talk to the Railways and Union urban development ministry for the rapid rail corridors," said a senior government official.The two priority rapid rail corridors will cover portions of Haryana in the NCR. The first stretch will be from Delhi to Panipat and the second one will be between the national capital and Alwar.Moreover, the chief minister has announced the plan to lay an orbital corridor in the NCR to improve connectivity across the region. "There is a huge task before this new agency. The MRTS between Delhi airport and Bawal has already been finalized. If industrialization in NCR pushed the state economy, now we need to focus on transportation and connectivity," said an industry department official.

The HMRTC will have a corpus in which the state government will have 51% share, HUDA with 29% and HSIIDC will have 20% ownership.

The government has already approved a corpus of Rs 100 crore for the company which would include paid-up capital of Rs 10 crore.

The office of the company would be located either in Gurgaon or Panchkula. It would carry on the work of planning, designing, development, maintenance and operation of mass transit and other urban transport on its own or in association with other undertakings or agencies through a turnkey contract. It would also be involved in building new transit routes and providing all infrastructural facilities.