Railway minister had given in-principal approval for works worth Rs 10,000 crore
Railway minister had given in-principal approval for works worth Rs 10,000 crore
The Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 3 still has a long way to go, as it is yet to get the budget approval.
Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu said the project will be submitted to National Institution for Transformation India (NITI) Aayog by November 22 this month. After this, the proposal will be sent to the Cabinet for approval and then to the Railway Board finally, he said. Mr Prabhu was speaking at the inauguration of the rail overbridge (ROB) and escalator at Borivali station on Monday morning. “We have a plan to put forward the complete and final proposal of MUTP III to the Cabinet after NITI Aayog, and only then will we be able to see what amount in the budget is approved. The plan will finally go to the Railway Board and the work will begin then,” said Mr Prabhu.
This comes almost nine months after Mr Prabhu himself had declared an in-principle nod to works under MUTP 3 amounting to Rs 10,000 crore. The works under the same include doubling of Panvel to Karjat track, Airoli to Kalwa elevated corridor, procurement of rakes, station development and trespassing control on Central Railway and Western Railway (WR). Speaking about the need for elevated corridors in a city like Mumbai, Mr Prabhu said “Mumbai no longer has space in congested parts so we need to think of elevating the lines, it is the need of the hour.”
The minister has also said that the railways is open to outsourcing the supply of bottled drinking water at stations if anybody wants to take it up as public services. “Many commuter and residents groups and even educational institutions have come forward to keep the railway premises near their homes clean. Likewise, people can come forward and supply drinking water at affordable rate as a public service. If done properly we can slash the rates to as low as Rs 2 and Rs 3,” said Mr Prabhu.
Mr Prabhu also spoke of the overall need to work with the state government, city municipal corporation and local bodies to repair old ROBs and road underbridges that seem to be breaking down. Owing to the inauguration on platform no. 6 at least four trains towards Churchgate were cancelled.
