Jaipur will see the Metro running this June. Rajasthan has claimed that the Metro had been constructed in a record time of less than two and half years, with support from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said this in his meeting with the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia here on Wednesday. The meeting was called to finalise the State’s annual Plan size for 2013-14, which was fixed at Rs 40,500 crore, nearly 20 per cent higher than Rs 33,500 crore in 2012-13.
According to the Web site of Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation, part ‘A’ of Phase 1 will have a total route length of 9.71 km with nine stations. Estimated to have been built at the cost of over Rs 2,000 crore, the proposed date for the Metro’s commercial operation has been given as June 30, 2013.
Meanwhile, during the meeting, Ahluwalia complimented the State for achieved the highest agriculture growth of 7.9 per cent during the 11th Plan, against the national average of 3.7 per cent. He also commended the State’s efforts towards making itself self-reliant in power.
Ahluwalia, however, said water security was a major challenge for the State and very careful approach was needed to meet its future needs. He said drip irrigation and recycling of used water was desirable and Government should work out strategy for this. He offered Planning Commission support in working out a long-term plan to meet water requirements. Rajasthan’s initiatives aimed at empowering girl child and encouraging self-help groups was also appreciated.
However, the Plan panel felt that concerted efforts were needed to improve the literacy rate and eliminate gender and social gaps in school enrolment by the end of 12th Plan. The literacy rate of Rajasthan is 67.06 per cent according to the 2011 Census, below the national average of 74.04 per cent.
Briefing the Commission, Gehlot said the thrust for the 12th Plan for the electronics and IT sectors was on e-development through a multi-pronged strategy. This includes promotion of e-infrastructure, e-governance, promotion of software (IT-ITeS) industry, building knowledge network and securing India’s cyber space.