MMRDA budget approved, metro 3 project between Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) passed its Rs4,240.78 crore budget on Friday for the current financial year. It has made provisions for two underground metro projects for Mumbai, namely Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd and Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ. However, a major chunk of the funds will go to areas outside greater Mumbai limits.

The state government wants to speed up implementation of a third metro rail – Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ, and the MMRDA has therefore earmarked Rs500 crore for this 32 km-long underground metro project.
Also, Rs4 crore will be set aside for Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd Metro.

Out of this, a few crores will be utilised to carry a study for the construction of underground Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd metro rail. The contract for an elevated version of the Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd metro project will be scrapped in the coming months.

The Authority has further allocated Rs634 crore for the Metro Rail Project, with a major chunk (Rs500 crore) spared for the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro corridor. The Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd Metro corridor has been sanctioned Rs4 crore, for various studies to be conducted afresh, since the corridor is now expected to be implemented underground.

As the Mumbai Urban Transport Project is still underway and more new age trains are yet to be procured, the MMRDA has made a provision of Rs1,000 crore to purchase new rakes during the current financial year.

With an aim to develop Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), a total of Rs3,628 crore has been allotted for Extended Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project, all outside Mumbai civic limits. A sum of Rs650 crore has been marked for erecting four flyovers, a creek bridge over Revas creek from Revas and Karanja and two bridges at Mankoli-Motegaon Road and Kalyan-Bhiwandi, near Ulhas creek.

This year, there will be an emphasis on Khopoli City Ring Road, repair and beautification of Neral-Dasturi Road and Dasturi-Matheran Road in the eastern Mumbai district.

Due to the general elections, the budget for the current fiscal year was approved on Friday.