New Delhi: Pitching for the public-private partnership (PPP) in urban infrastructure, government today said projects like Metro rail can also be implemented through PPP model.

"Metro rail projects in Hyderabad and Mumbai are to come up through PPP model. This is for the first time in the country that we are allowing Metro to be operational in these two cities through PPP," Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy said.

"Despite the fact projects in the urban sector do not lend themselves easily to the PPP model and there are limits to what the government can do, Metro projects in these cities are being implemented under the PPP mode," he said.

Reddy was speaking on a seminar on urban infrastructure here today. Besides Metro, government is also keen to allow bus rapid transit (BRT) system, construction of road overbridge (ROB) and underpass through the PPP mode, he said.

Referring to the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme, he said, "it is an important milestone in the reform agenda of the government. The scheme envisages creation of infrastructure in cities through government assisted fund. Till now the scheme is operational in 63 cities."
Source : PTI