The cabinet has approved in principle the draft of the Metro Rail Act 2014 with a special provision for land acquisition.
The cabinet, in a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, okayed the document on Monday, said Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.
Mass Transit Company Limited will operate the metro rail (MRT-6), while the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) will retain overall control, he said.
Land acquisition procedures will conform to norms applied to the Bangabandhu Bridge and Padma bridge projects, Bhuiyan said.
The draft lays down provisions for fare fixation, appointment of inspectors and punishment for accidents and violation of the law.
A DTCA committee will fix the fares and recruit inspectors.
Violation of the law could invite a maximum punishment of 10 years and a fine of Tk 10 million. This provision would be incorporated in the existing law at the time of finalisation, he said.
The project would be executed under a Public-Private Partnership scheme, he said.
The draft will be placed for legislation after being vetted by the law ministry.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the project in 2012.
The Metro would run from Uttara to Bangladesh Bank via Pallabi, Rokeya Sarani (west), Khamarbari, Farmgate, Sonargaon Hotel, Shahbagh, TSC, Doyel intersection, Topkhana Road, the secretary said.
Source: Bd news24