New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) The Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) Ministry has received in-principle approval from the Finance Ministry for the phase IV of Delhi metro and metro rail projects in five cities of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, a senior official said today.

Besides, the ministry has also received in-principle approval for Delhi-Meerut section of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) after the launch of new metro policy in August last year, HUA Secretary D S Mishra told reporters here.

"We have received in-principle approval for metro projects in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal and Indore Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur, Agra and Meerut. We have also received in-principle approval for Delhi-Meerut section of the RRTS," he said.

Mishra said the projects would now be sent to the Public Investment Board (PIB) for its nod and then placed before the Cabinet for its approval.

On a query over phase IV of the Delhi metro project whose proposal is pending with the AAP government, the official said that Delhi cannot be left to lurch and some decisions need to be taken for commissioning of the project aimed at improving transportation in the national capital.

The comment assume significance in the backdrop of HUA Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in March stating that the government has decided to go forward with the Delhi Metro's phase IV project even if the Delhi government does not approve the project.

The minister had said the AAP-led city government was sitting on the project, which is pending for the last three years.

Amid the protest over felling of around 14,000 trees for re-development of residential colonies in south Delhi, Mishra said all these seven old colonies need redevelopment and stressed that there would be more area under green cover after plantation of new trees and other measures.

"Redevelopment is very necessary. Buildings have a life and in all these seven old colonies need redevelopment whose maintenance cost is very high and they are providing accommodation to less people that is why the government decided that they will redevelop these seven colonies,” he said.

"We are demolishing 12,000 houses and constructing 25,500 houses," he said.

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