BJP, Sena vie for credit over metro connectivity

Mumbai: With the state cabinet having approved two new metro projects, including the Dahisar-Mira Bhayandar route (metro 9), on Tuesday, a bitter battle has broken out between the local BJP and Shiv Sena leadership in the twin-city with either side trying to take credit for the development.

While the BJP is at the helm of affairs in the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), the Sena leads the opposition after both parties parted ways on the eve of the civic elections held in August 2017. After the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) announced its plans to introduce metro connectivity in the twin-city, the BJP-led MBMC was quick to finalise the names of the nine proposed stations.

For the past more than two years however, the project has remained largely on paper, with the Sena protesting the slow pace of various projects including the metro.

“We have been relentlessly following up on the issue. Yes, there has been a delay but only due to a unified plan of the metro along with construction of much-needed road-over-bridges (ROBs) to end traffic congestion on the stretch of road between Golden Nest and Kashimira. The opposition stands exposed for misguiding people for its selfish motives,” said mayor Dimple Mehta.

The Dahisar-Mira Bhayander route will be a 10.41 km-long elevated corridor. Sena legislator Pratap Sarnaik said, “It is because of our protests that the government was forced to act. We will not stop here; our agitations will continue till the actual ground work for the metro begins.”

Presently, commuters rely on heavily crowded local trains even as the twin-city continues to lack an efficient public bus transport service, forcing people to rely on non-metered auto-rickshaws and cabs for their commute.