Govt positive about PPP model for Airport Metro

UD secretary Sudhir Krishna says problems in line should not be taken as failure of all private projects in infrastructure. HT reports.

Even though the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is not keen on a public private partnership (PPP) venture in any of its projects in the future, the Union urban development ministry has defended the model.

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Speaking on the "challenges of PPP" session at the 27th Indian Engineering Congress organised by the Institute of Engineers, Union urban development secretary Sudhir Krishna on Sunday said the ministry was upbeat and positive about the future of PPP models in infrastructure, including the Delhi Metro Airport Express project.

Krishna said that the failure and problems that have come up in the Delhi Metro Airport Express project is a fit case study for experts and engineering fraternity for the future success of PPP models in the infrastructure sector.

After the airport metro service was suspended in July, DMRC chief Mangu Singh had indicated that the corporation does not want to go for a PPP model again in any of its projects.

The airport metro express, the service of which was suspended in July following detection of major damages in the civil structure, is expected to be operational soon following a safety inspection and a final nod from the Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) to resume the service.

In September, Metro man E Sreedharan while delivering a lecture on 'Delhi metro rail: A success story' had said: "The PPP model in implementing metro projects has not been a success anywhere across the world."

"We are not quite happy with the concessionaire of the airport express line. We don't think that PPP was a successful experiment," he had earlier said.

Speaking on this issue, urban development secretary Sudhir Krishna said that PPP should not equated with privatisation. "The government should not feel that they have no accountability towards implementation and overseeing of the PPP project."