The state's hope of getting an "in principle" approval from the Centre for the Patna Metro project stands dashed.

Bihar urban development and housing department minister Maheshwar Hazari on Monday told The Telegraph that the project was likely to get the central nod only after formulation of a new Metro policy.

The Telegraph had earlier come out with a report hinting at such a fate for the Patna metro project. Officials in the urban development and housing department had given such indications.

Hazari had been camping in Delhi for the past four days in a bid to get an appointment with the Union minister of housing and urban poverty alleviation, Venkaiah Naidu, but failed to do so.

"I have been informed that the new Metro policy is likely to be formulated after the monsoon session of Parliament. It now seems that the Centre's nod for the Patna Metro project would be given only after formulation of the new policy," Hazari, who is expected to return to Patna by Monday night, said over phone.

The minister also tried to give a political colour to the Centre's decision and maintained that Bihar was being meted out a step-motherly treatment.

The reason for this, he said, was that forces opposed to the BJP and its policies were in power in the state.

The minister appeared disappointed and maintained that the whole effort of formulating the detailed project report, which had been submitted to the Centre, stood nullified now and the state would have to start from scratch to realise its dream of having a metro facility in Patna. "Even the money spent on DPR formulation would be wasted, as we would not have to formulate a fresh document in the light of the new policy," the minister further said.

Bihar had sent the detailed project report for approval in March 2016. The document had been formulated by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), the agency the state government had tasked with the work.

The Metro projects for Patna and Lucknow were conceived at almost the same time in 2011. While the Lucknow Metro witnessed a trial run earlier this year, Bihar has not witnessed any groundwork on its project even six years down the line.

A similar project in Nagpur, too, is likely to be commissioned this year.

Earlier, the state government had pinned its hope of a central approval and commissioning of the project by 2021.

The project aims to ensure seamless connectivity between Danapur area in west Patna and Patna-Gaya road on the southern fringes of Patna.