Gurugram, June 17 -- A tentative 20-km metro alignment connecting Bhondsi on the Gurugram-Sohna Highway with the Gurugram Railway Station has been proposed by RITES India Ltd, with 17 stations planned along the route, officials aware of the development said on Tuesday. Officials said the original plan was to run the metro along Sohna Road, but multiple route options are now being explored due to low ridership projections on that alignment. The official said a meeting of HMRTC, GMRL and GMDA is likely to be held soon to discuss ridership, carriageway availability, cost and other factors before finalising the alignment. The proposed alignment, recently submitted to the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC), the Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL) and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), will begin at Bhondsi village and pass through Mohan Nagar, Power Colony, Badshahpur, Sector-67, M3M Urbana Chowk, Sector-65, Golf Course Extension Road, Fresco Square, South City-II, Sector-47, Bakhtawar Chowk, Medanta Hospital, Mini Secretariat, Sadar Bazar, Sector-8 (Prem Mandir) and Bhim Nagar before connecting to the Gurugram Railway Station through an interchange with the Old Gurugram Metro at Sector-5, said officials. The HMRTC had on March 17 entrusted RITES with preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for the corridor at a cost of Rs.1.41 crore after approval by the HMRTC board chaired by chief secretary Anurag Rastogi. A senior GMRL official, who is aware of the matter, said the alignment remains tentative. "There are two more variations for this route and these would also be considered. The proposed route covers the most densely populated areas in the city and we have suggested that metro should be constructed underground along this route," he said....