Noting that an efficient transport system was ‘critical’ for orderly growth of cities, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the government has decided to support preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) for Metro rail in all 19 cities with a population of over two million.

Laying the foundation for the Rs 5,181 crore Kochi Metro project here, Dr. Singh said DPRs had already been prepared for 12 cities and Metro rail projects were being implemented in seven cities, covering a total network of length 476 km at a cost of over Rs 1.15 lakh crore.