The break even
passenger carrying capacity of Delhi Metro Rail projected per
day for viable operation is 21.82 lakh passenger trips per day
on the completion of the project in 2005. With the expected
ridership of 21.82 lakh passenger trips per day Delhi Metro
Rail Corporation will be in a position to meet its obligation
for repayment of the loans taken for this project. About 64%
cost of this project is being funded by a soft loan from the
Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC), which carries
moratorium of 10 years and repayment period of 20 years from
the date of the loan agreement. The loan is disbursed by JBIC
in tranches and each tranche is treated as separate loan and
the moratorium and the repayment apply to each tranche separately.
For the first tranche, the loan carries an interest rate of
2.3% and for the subsequent tranches the interest rate is 1.8%.
About 5% of
the project cost (which covers the cost of land) is in the shape
of interest-free subordinate loan provided in equal proportion
by the Government of India and the Government of National Capital
Territory of Delhi. This loan is to be re-paid after the repayment
of the principal loan from JBIC is complete. Only the first
section from Shahdara toTis Hazari of the project has been commissioned
so far. There were some minor teething problems in operating
this section which have since been sorted out. This information
was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Urban
Development & Poverty Alleviation Shri Pon. Radhakirishnan
in a written reply to Shri Vinay Kumar Sorake and four others
in Lok Sabha today.
