Title - Andheri mosque gives nod for Metro Rail link

The missing link of the city’s first Metro Rail will soon be bridged, as talks between the MMRDA and trustees of Jama Masjid at Andheri have been successful. “Representatives of the Jama Masjid situated outside Andheri railway station have agreed to our stand regarding the importance of the Metro Rail project and the consequences of having a missing link on the route,” said a senior MMRDA official. As per the rounds of discussions held, the authorities have decided that a portion of the mosque’s minaret and the temporary shed will pave way for the Metro Rail’s Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor. In return, the development authority will pay compensation to the mosque to carry out plastering work. At the moment, the documentation work is underway for legal reasons. Once the MMRDA is through with it, the Right of Way (RoW) will be handed over to the Reliance Infrastructure led Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL). The Asian Age had reported on Monday about the mosque issue being close to getting resolved and a final decision was to be taken in this week. Now, the only pending RoW issue left is that of Maheshwar Temple at Asalfa, and if that is not resolved on time, the MMOPL might start the Metro operations partially.