Goa to invite bids for monorail project Our Regional Bureau / Panaji September 14, 2005
Goa has agreed in principle to float global tenders inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from private parties to set-up a monorail system in the state, connecting Panaji, Margao and Mapusa. The 45-km monorail project is aimed at providing viable public transport for the state, which relies heavily on state transport. The state wants the project finished in 18 months. The state transport minister Pandurang Madkaikar told mediapersons that the government would not invest in the monorail project, but would promote it on a build operate and transfer (BOT) basis. "The cost per kilometre works out to around Rs 60 crore, and the cost of the entire project would be around Rs 2,500 crore," he said. Madkaikar said that the central government has promised to provide 20 per cent of the total cost of the project. The state government will acquire land for the project. The minister said that the government would give a month for inviting EOIs and the interested firms would have to do a feasibility report on the project. "Several parties are interested in installing and running the monorail project in India, Madkaikar said that New Delhi and Tamil Nadu have already invited tender to install monorail project in their States.
