Mumbai: The State government has decided to fast-track the proposed suburban railway corridor between Karjat and Panvel. The decision was taken at a meeting of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, the Railways, the MMRDA, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Thursday.
The corridor is being executed by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), and it is part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3 (MUTP 3). One of the key issues affecting the project is the cost sharing between the State and the Ministry of Railways.
According to sources, the CM said the cost sharing should not be an issue and work on the corridor should commence.
“It was decided that the negotiations on the cost sharing would continue,” an official present at the meeting said.
The tentative cost of the project is ₹2,782 crore of which the State is expected to give ₹1,182 crore, while the Railways’ contribution is pegged at ₹320 crore.
The remainder is expected to be financed by a World Bank loan. In all other projects under MUTP 3, the cost sharing between the Ministry of Railways and Maharashtra is 50:50.
Sources said the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs had approved the cost sharing for the corridor and the Union Minister of Railways had also written to Mr. Fadnavis on the subject earlier this year.
While the MRVC is tasked with building the corridor, land acquisition and rehabilitation of the project affected persons (PAPs) will be looked after by the government through the MMRDA.
The MRVC has identified 371 PAPs and the total land to be acquired is 58.53 hectares. Railway officials said the tendering process is under way and work is expected to start by early 2019.
The other issues discussed at the meeting pertained to land acquisition for the sixth railway line between Mumbai Central and Borivali and the rehabilitation of the PAPs for the same. There are 607 PAPs identified between Bandra and Borivali and 633 between Bandra and Mumbai Central.
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