The Hyderabad Metro Rail project will be dedicated to the nation in December next year, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said on Sunday.

Inaugurating the work to set up launching girders on to the Metro rail pillars, Mr Reddy said the trials of the first phase of the Rs.16,375 crore project would begin in June 2014.

He formally started the hydraulic cranes for launching girders on the Metro pillars for the 72-km elevated rail project.Later, addressing a public meeting at Uppal to mark the completion of two years in office, he said the prestigious Metro system on three high density corridors would carry 15 lakh people every day.

He said the government was making all efforts to complete the project on schedule. “Even if there is a delay of one day on the part of the government, we will have to pay a penalty of Rs.32 lakh and if the L&T delays commissioning of the project by one day, they will have to pay Rs.64 lakh,” he said.

Mr Reddy said the Metro project was a part of his government’s efforts to make Hyderabad a world-class city. He also unveiled a plaque, signalling the launch of the project.Though the works started a few months ago and pillars on a stretch of five km were already erected, no formal stone-laying function was organised.

Vivek B. Gadgil, chief executive and managing director of L&T Metro Rail, said earlier this month that the entire project with 66 elevated Metro stations will be operational by July 2017. He said the trials would begin by the end of 2014 with the commissioning of the first stage of the project expected in 2015.

The works entered a crucial phase on Sunday with the launching works on girders.

N.V.S. Reddy, managing director of Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited, said the box type iron launching girder of about 34 metres and weighing 300 tonnes will be lifted using two hydraulic cranes of up to 150 tonnes each and erected on top of the two pillars. The works will be undertaken during night.

He said the entire stretch of metro rail via duct would be implemented in precast segmental construction method to minimise the inconvenience to road user.

It is described as the world’s largest metro project under the public-private partnership.