CM plans new biz hub at Wadala

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a new business hub at Wadala on the lines of the one at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). The CM also declared that SRA projects would be implemented on railway land. Apparently, the Railways has given a green signal too. Railway minister Piyush Goyal said that the railways had cleared works under the project MUTP-3. Mr Goyal said that Mumbaikar will experience a comfortable ride by 2022, when the projects are completed.

Mr Fadnavis had a meeting with Mr Goyal at Sayhyadri guest house and chaired the MMRDA meeting on Friday. Speaking to the media, the CM said, “We will develop a business hub and multi-model transport system at Wadala. We have already shifted the truck terminal. So there is sufficient space available at Wadala to develop the business hub.”

Mr Fadnavis said that he had also discussed the issue of redevelopment of slums on railway land with Mr Goyal.

“Mr Goyal has agreed to give railway land for SRA projects. The railway can also get some land for their projects and the state can provide homes to the slum dwellers,” he said.

This issue was pending for many years as there are thousands of illegal shanties on the railway, defence, LIC and other central government department’s land parcels in Mumbai.

The CM said that the MMRDA will construct a 4.5-km long bridge over Bhayander to Vasai at the cost of '1500 crore. The population in both the suburbs has increased, hence it needs a bridge for better connectivity,” he said.

Mr Goyal appreciated the initiative taken by Mr Fadnavis to speed up pending transport and infrastructure projects in Mumbai.

“Many MUTP-3 projects were cleared in the meeting. This will improve the transport system in Mumbai and provide more comfort to the Mumbaikar commuters,” Mr Goyal said.

Railways proposes new MUTP project worth Rs 49.5K cr

Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: A new Mumbai Urban Tran-sport Project (MUTP), MUTP-3A, estimated to be worth Rs 49,524 crore approximately, was proposed on Friday by railway authorities to Union minister Piyush Goyal and Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani. The project includes the Panvel-CST elevated corridor, an extension of Harbour’s CST-Goregaon line to Borivali at Rs 745 crore, with the highest allocation to be given to procurement of new AC trains at Rs 1,600 crore.  It also includes procurement of a total of 210 air-conditioned locals (1,6380 crore), improvements of stations (Rs 879 cr), and the fifth and sixth lines between Borivali-Virar (Rs 1,963 crore).

The proposal was presented to the minister and the chairman at Sahyadri guest house by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), the planning body of the Mumbai railways, said officials. The MRVC and all the projects in Mumbai have so far been labelled MUTP-I, 2 and 3. The latest addition takes Mumbai railway planning to the next level, said officials.

“Most of the projects have already been in talks or planning stage but have never officially been brought under the MUTP banner. There are a few other extensions of lines that already exist hence it has been given the suffix of A,” said an official.

Although the MUTP-3A has just been presented to the minister and the Railway Board chief, it is believed that it will be officially presented and sanctioned in the union budget this year on February 1, according to railway officials. “The railway budget has been merged into the union budget since last year, so we have been planning 3A for a while and asked that it be a part of the budget, but Mr Goyal has asked us to be patient.”

The feasibility of the almost Rs 50,000 crore project is being reviewed, as Mr Goyal has hinted that there might be changes in the 50:50 state and railway ratio, the official said.

• MUTP-1 (Rs 4,450 crore,
• proposed in 2002):
•  5 new 12 coach trains
•  Conversion from direct current to alternating current on Western Railway
•  Running 12 and 15 coach trains
• MUTP B (Rs 3,284 crore):
•  5th and the 6th line between CSMT-Kurla
•  5th and the 6th line between Thane Diva
•  6th line between Mumbai Central and Borivali
• MUTP-3  (Rs 11, 000 crore, sanctioned in 2016):
•  47 AC trains
•  Virar-Dahanu quadrupling
•  New line between Panvel-Karjat