The Centre has made it mandatory for state governments to involve private players in the execution and running of new metro rail projects to get Central financing, The Indian Express reported. This new policy was approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.

The new metro rail policy states that “private participation either for complete provisioning of metro rail or for some unbundled components will form an essential requirement for all metro rail project proposals seeking central financial assistance”.

The policy will have “innovative models of implementation and financing, as well as standardisation and indigenisation of hardware and software” to create jobs locally, said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. “There will be a system-based approach [for sanctioning new projects].”