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MMRDA Gets Rs 4,825-Cr Budget, Focus on Monorail, Metro

  • Mumbai Aiming to complete pending projects in the coming fiscal with a special thrust on the Monorail and Metro rail projects, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday approved a budget of Rs 4,825.54 crore for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for 2012-13.

  • The MMRDA, which pegged the year’s deficit at Rs 1,700 crore, has allocated a fourth of the budget for the fiscal for the Monorail and the under-construction and proposed Metro lines. The development body has spared Rs 873 crore for the Monorail, as the Chembur-Wadala corridor progresses fast towards completion and work on the second phase, the Wadala-Jacob Circle route, gathers pace. Likewise, Rs 338 crore has been set aside for the first three Metro lines.“We hope to commission the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro this financial year. We hope to start the trial runs by the year-end,” said Metropolitan Commissioner Rahul Asthana. The MMRDA has budgeted Rs 100 crore for the Metro line.

  • Similarly, a sum of Rs 138 crore has been taken into consideration for the second Metro, stretching from Charkop to Mankhurd via Bandra. Residents and activists have been protesting against the corridor, which is currently planned to be elevated, as they want it to be fully underground. “As of now, we are focusing on getting environmental clearance for the car sheds without which the project can’t take off. Whether it is to be elevated or underground can be seen later,” Asthana said.For the current year, the MMRDA has allocated Rs 100 crore for the third line, the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz corridor, for which it is in the process of finalising a loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency for 50 per cent of the amount.The budget also stresses on completion of works under the Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project (MUIP) and extended MUIP, which have been allotted Rs 660 crore and Rs 800 crore respectively.

  • MUIP comprises projects such as the Milan subway rail overbridge, Sahar elevated road, Eastern Freeway, Anik-Panjarpol link road and the Panjarpol-Ghatkopar link road. Under extended MUIP, the MMRDA is developing nine roads in Vasai, Virar, Mira Road, Bhayandar, Dombivli, Kalyan, Ambernath, Karjat and Badlapur, six flyovers and a rail overbridge on the Thane-Badlapur Road.The authority plans to commission several pending projects such as the Milan rail overbridge, the Sahar elevated road, the Eastern Freeway and part of the Anik-Panjarpol link road this year. “By the end of this year, no project will be substantially pending in Mumbai,” Asthana said.The MMRDA has also made provisions of Rs 50 crore for the proposed Virar-Alibaug Multi-Modal Corridor, Rs 5 crore for the Sewri-Nhava Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link, for which the authority expects to award a contract by November this year, and Rs 82 crore for the delayed Mithi River rejuvenation project.

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