Govt readies fifth proposal, but monorail refuses to move Pvt Companies Reluctant Because Of Political Uncertainty Karthikeyan.Hemaiatha "The government cannot in­ @timesgroup.com vest and also operate such a large system. There are not 1Project proposed What went wrong Chennai.: In two weeks, the Ta­ enough resources for that. We Private companies were reluctant to mil Nadu government will 2011 1Tender work begins can get JICA ftmds only if we invest huge sum of money for the make another 'request for pro­ as soon as AIADMK comes folloW the EPC mode," said the system posal' - the fIfth time-for con­ to power source. Under the PPP model, tractors to build the proposed Feb, 2014 1State government Companies are wary that a change in the contractor is expected to de­ monorail, but there seems to be announces schedule of work government may stall it sign, build, fInance, operate and no takers. and fares as has happened transfer the project. The project Two companies are consid­ with earlier is expected to costt16,650 crore. ered for the project, but sources AprI, 2014 1Lok Sabha projects' Of this, the government has in the government said they are elections interupt the agreed to pay t970.5 crore to the now reluctant to take up the schedule operator as a grant to make it work because of political un­ Nov, 2014 1Union ministry easier for the successful bidder. certainty as Assembly elections of urban development The tender process to near. TN has a history of stall­ approves project choose the contractor has been ing infrastructure projects ini­ stuck in second gear for more tiated by the previous govern­ take more than a year to mobili­ rail project if the government than three years now as the pro­ ment. The Port-Maduravoyal ze this money before construc­ takes it up," said Sanjeev Mo­ ject is as expensive as metro rail project, for example, was start­ tion begins and by then there holkar, principal development but does not have the same pas­ ed by the DMK government and could be a change of govern­ specialist at JICA in an earlier senger capacity as the metro. discontinued by AlAIDMK. ment. And the companies see interaction with TOI. While metro rail has the capaci­ "Monorail is unlikely to take off this as a potential risk," said the However, if JICA is ftmding tyto carry 45,000 passengers per soon, however much the gov­ source. or giving soft loans for the pro­ direction, monorail can man­ ernment tries," said a source at Another option is to drop ject, transport officials say the age just about 10,000. the transpOrt department. "The the public-private partnership government has to forgo the The Chennai monorail is fear among private companies and build it with Japan Interna­ PPP (public-private partner­ proposed to have a network of is palpable," he added. tional Cooperation Agency (JI­ ship) and take up the EPC (engi­ 43.48km, with two corridors. Fbr the project to start, the CA)ftmd, but the government is neering, procurement and con­ While one would go from Poo­ chosen company needs to raise not keen on this option. JICA is. struction) model. Through the namallee to Kathipara with a ~,267 crores for the fIrst phase. willing to ftmd the project, pro­ PPP model, the private compa­ link from Porur to Vadapalani It has to design and build under vided the government takes up ny is expected not only to invest (20.68km), the other would ex­ ( the current scheme of these the construction. "JICA will be in the project but also design, tend from Vandalur and Vela­ things. '~y company would interested in ftmdingthe mono- build and operate the system. chery (22.00km). .