Chandigarh, Sept. 16 -- With the UT administration dragging its feet on a decision, the cost of the long-pending Tricity Metro project has climbed to nearly Rs.25,000 crore, up from Rs.23,263 crore in February 2025. The steep Rs.1,737-crore rise in just seven months was brought up during a meeting of the transport standing committee of the Administrator's Advisory Council on Monday, chaired by AAP state president Vijay Pal. During the meeting, Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) gave a presentation, strongly recommending that Metro remains the most suitable mass rapid transit system (MRTS) for the region. According to RITES, the Metro will significantly reduce road traffic congestion, accidents and pollution. RITES further pointed out that delays were inflating the project cost, which could shoot up to Rs.28,000-Rs.30,000 crore by the time the detailed project report (DPR) is finalised. The maximum expenditure is expected on alignment and formation (Rs.6,256 crore) and station buildings (Rs.4,941 crore), followed by rolling stock (Rs.1,264 crore), traction and power supply (Rs.1,598 crore), signalling and telecommunication (Rs.1,523 crore), maintenance depots (Rs.559 crore) and permanent way for mainline and depots (Rs.874 crore). The project's economic internal rate of return (profitability) was assessed at 16.7%, which is considered economically viable under the Metro Rail Policy, 2017, as it exceeds the 14% benchmark. However, the financial internal rate of return (return on investment) was pegged at just 4%, excluding land costs, which raised concerns among committee members. Some members questioned the omission of land and rehabilitation costs, warning that the actual project expense could escalate further. The committee eventually referred the matter to an expert panel formed by the UT for final recommendations. Meanwhile, Congress MP Manish Tewari has demanded that Punjab and Haryana chief ministers and the Chandigarh administrator convene a decisive meeting. He stressed that despite repeated discussions and reports, no clarity has emerged on whether the project will be approved. "A final 'yes or no' decision is now essential, as the DPR has not yet been forwarded to the Centre," Tewari asserted. Tewari had even taken up the issue during the Lok Sabha session last month. Tewari had sought updates on the number of meetings by the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA), set up to oversee the project, the review status of the latest feasibility study conducted by RITES, and whether any joint proposal had been submitted by Punjab, Haryana and the UT administration. He had also inquired about the timeline for DPR completion and the cost-sharing formula among stakeholders. Tokhan Sahu, minister of state for housing and urban affairs, in response, had informed the House then that the DPR for the Metro project has not yet been submitted to the central government. Moreover, no details have been provided regarding the estimated cost of the project or any financial collaboration model among the stakeholders. Both Punjab and Haryana had paid their share of Rs.1.37 crore each for preparation of DPR in August-September 2023. But even two years later, there has been no concrete progress....