‘No work unless state follows contract’

The MMTPL sent 15 such letters to various state officials since July 2011,detailing the hurdles that need to be sorted out before construction can begin. “The project cost has increased manifold because of the delay in commencement of construction. With the increased cost,the project viability has become a matter of concern with the approved quantum of viability gap funding,” the letter stated.

More than three years after the bhoomipujan for the 32-km elevated Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd Metro, the construction is yet to begin primarily due to lack of land for the car depot and full right of way,or the ownership of land along the entire alignment. The original cost of the project was Rs 8,250 crore as per 2008 prices.

“We have sent the letter to our legal counsel for scrutiny and will decide what to do next,” said Rahul Asthana,MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner. The MMRC functions under the MMRDA.

The MMRC had sent a letter to the MMTPL early in September requesting the consortium to start work at hindrance-free stretches by October 1 or face action as per the provisions of the concession agreement.

In its reply,the MMTPL said as per contract the MMRC was to hand over 100 per cent right of way by April 2011 but has so far handed over less than 51 per cent. The letter said the MMRC was to provide 19.7 hectares land in Charkop and 24 hectares in Mankhurd for the car depots as per the agreement. However,the environmental clearance for the project mandates that the car depots be built on stilts and prohibits any maintenance and washing activities on the land as it falls in CRZ-1.

With its reply,the MMTPL has attached a letter sent by the MMRC to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in June 2011 in which it stated that with the conditions stipulated it won’t be possible to construct the car shed with required facilities and with no alternative plot available,the project can’t take off.

‘State govt can survey plots for car sheds again’

The MoEF recently wrote to the state government saying it is free to conduct a re-survey of the land chosen for the Metro car sheds in Charkop and Mankhurd to determine if it really comes under the highly-sensitive CRZ-1,said Rahul Asthana,MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner. “The earlier survey was done via a satellite,so they have said that the state government can go to the site and conduct an actual survey to be sure. This does not necessarily help our case as a re-survey may take a long time and may end up proving that the plots are under CRZ-1,” he added.