The state government has sent the proposal to the Railway Ministry for clearance, according to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) K C Srivastava. ``We sent it to the Central Government two days ago and are awaiting their response,'' he said.

The fate of the commissionerate had been hanging fire for the last three months with the state government taking its own time in studying the proposal put forward by the Director General of Police (Maharashtra) Arvind Inamdar. One of the major grouses of the state government was the sharing of the financial burden that the setting up of the commissionerate entails.

If implemented in toto, the proposal will cost Mantralaya Rs 8.5 crore, half the total expenditure. It seeks to set up five new police stations in the metropolis at Panvel, Vashi, Wadala, Churchgate and Andheri.

``We have alsoasked for additional posts of deputy commissioners for Western and Central Railway, besides two assistant commissioners for the Harbour line and the Konkan route,'' said S S Suradkar, Special Inspector General (Railways).

For regions outside Mumbai, the proposal has called for the bifurcation of the Nagpur division, which now covers Vidarbha and Marathwada, into Nagpur and Aurangabad divisions. Sources in the Government Railway Police claimed that the department had asked for nearly 1500 additional staff for the state.

However, if the commissionerate meant for just the suburban railways, as has been advocated by Union Minister of State for Railways Ram Naik, it will come at a cost of Rs 5 crore and will employ 600 policemen.

Srivastava claimed that no changes had been made in the proposal but added that changes might be made after due discussions with the Railway Ministry. ``First let us see if they are willing to share this burden,'' he said.

Sharing of the cost has been a major bone of contentionbetween the state and the Central government. According to sources, the state government has been sore over the fact that New Delhi owes it nearly Rs 57 crore as reimbursement for various expenses.

Though the original proposal seeks a commissionerate for the whole state, senior officials of the GRP feel that ultimately the commissionerate will only serve the metropolis. Naik has been angling for a city commissionerate since November 5 last year.