State government officials who have been working on the project, despite it being eclipsed from public view by the concrete networking of flyovers, are ecstatic and claim that the talks were the ``most fruitful'' they have had in recent times. ``They have indicated that they are going to finance the project, though the proviso is that the project might have to be slightly smaller,'' said a government official. MUTP II would now be implemented phase-wise.

``We don't mind a phase-wise implementation but we would be glad if WB officials approve the entire project first and then implement it phase-wise,'' said another official, ``sincethere is a case of uncertainty otherwise.''

Large projects with huge resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) components will not be considered in the first phase. The most intractable of rail projects - the harbour line which has the largest resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) component (7,500 hutments) - will not be touched in the first phase. Others which will not be in the first phase are: the Bandra-Kurla railway link and the fifth line between Kurla-CST. The road projects that will have to wait for consideration under the second phase are: the Santacruz-Chembur link road, the Anik Panjrapol road, the Thane-Ghodbunder link road and the Western Relief Road. Together, the four rail projects would have been drawing up a huge bill for their R&R component as it consists of around 8,000 to 10,000 hutments.

According to officials, the WB mission expressed satisfaction with the state and the Central government on the creation of the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), which has received the Centralcabinet's approval. With articles of association being drawn up and the railways already ready with names of its officials on the board of directors, it is expected that the MRVC will be registered as a company and will begin functioning by August 1999.

On the R&R component, it has now been decided that MUTP II would be an integrated project. While earlier it was decided that the two parts would have different team leaders, it has now been decided to give it a single vision where R&R will be a part of the MUTP II and will therefore be handled by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), a nodal agency and one at the forefront of the implementation of MUTP II. The R&R part will consume around Rs 700 crore, it is estimated.

With the harbour line moving out graciously in the first phase of the rail component of the MUTP II, the R&R component for the railways is at a manageable 7,500 hutments. According to officials, the state government has already identified land on the Central andWestern Railway and around one thousand hutments have already been shifted to Kanjurmarg to facilitate laying of the fifth line between Kurla-Thane, which is already under implementation by the railways.

Apparently, WB officials did not remark on the flyover project in the island city, since they were assured that MMRDA is still studying the seven flyovers to be constructed inside of Sion and Mahim. The study is expected to be out by August.

MUTP II: WHAT IS READY

MUMBAI RAIL VIKAS CORPORATION

CABINET APPROVAL-DONE
REGISTRATION OF COMPANY-TO BE DONE
NAMES OF DIRECTORS-READY
EXPECTED DATE FOR REGISTRATION-AUGUST
RESETTLEMENT & REHABILITATION

MMRDA TO TAKE UP R&R
LAND-FOR RAILWAYS PROJECT AFFECTED PEOPLE (PAP) -IDENTIFIED
LAND-FOR ROAD PAP -TO BE IDENTIFIED
COST -RS 700 CR

MUTP II: WHAT REMAINS TO BE DONE

DOCUMENTATION AND STUDIES-TO BE COMPLETED
TIME BOUND ACTION & INSTITUTIONAL PROJECTS -IDENTIFIED
WB MISSIONS-TWO MORE EXPECTED BY END OF1999
MUTP II TO BE PRESENTED BEFORE WB BOARD-MARCH/APRIL 2000
IMPLEMENTATION-THEREAFTER