PUNE (TIP): “Metro Man” E Sreedharan has emphasised integrity, punctuality and professional competence are vital factors for undertaking any major infrastructure project to avoid cost overruns. Sreedharan, who was conferred the ‘Lokmanya Tilak Award’ for 2013 at a function in Pune on Thursday night for outstanding contribution to society, said, “In infrastructure projects, time is money.” Professional competence marked the development of the Delhi Metro project, which was a technical marvel and also a sustainable model, said Sreedharan, considered as the architect of the ambitious Delhi Metro project.

“It needs to be ensured that the project causes minimum problems to people with minimum dislocation and disruption in traffic flow in the city,” he pointed out. Referring to the proposed Pune Metro project, he said “valuable time” of about five years had been lost in the execution of it which could result in cost escalation. Deepak Tilak, chairman of the Lokmanya Tilak Trust presented the award – which carried a Rs. 1 lakh cash amount and a citation – to the Padmashree laureate, who is also credited with pulling off the Konkan Railway projects.