Chennai Metro Rail is Rs. 6000 crore costlier.

The cost of the city'sMetro Rail project may escalate from the current estimate of Rs. 14,600 crore to nearly Rs. 20,000 crore due to a variety of factors, including Rupee depreciation and increase in the construction and labour costs. Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) that is executing the project is seeking additional funds to complete its work.

In the five years since work started, this is the first time that CMRL has decided to seek additional funds, said officials. So far, CMRL has exhausted about Rs. 8,000 crore of the Rs. 14,600 crore and wants about Rs. 6,000 crore more to complete the work on the 45 km-stretch by the end of 2016, an official said.


THE HINDU