Title - No Metro from Sept, rues CM

Going back on his promise given in the Legislative Assembly that the first Metro would run from September this year, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan admitted on Friday that the Metro had failed to meet the deadline.He also admitted that till the Navi Mumbai Airport project gets the environment and wildlife clearance, the uncertainty will continue over the project. The first phase of the Mumbai Metro project which will connect Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, is being constructed by MMRDA and Reliance Infrastructure under public-private participation mode.“The first phase of Metro to commence by September this year and the entire phase will be operational by the year end, Chavan had also said in May.  But now CM has indirectly blamed the Central government for the delay and washed his hand off from responsibility.He also said that Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) project will now be actually completed by MMRDA. It is to be noted that despite floating global tenders for this project, no company showed interest in this project. This was a major embarrassment for Chavan and his government.

Talking about the Navi Mumbai airport project, Chavan said that getting wildlife clearance was a hurdle.

“After the environment and wildlife clearance the uncertainty will end for the Navi Mumbai airport project,” he pointed out, adding that environment and wildlife clearance are major hurdles due to which projects are getting stuck.

Land Bill: Expressing concern over the new Land Acquisition Bill, he said that it might push up land acquisition costs resulting in high cost of the projects.

“The new Land Acquisition Bill worries us as the cost will go up. We need to see how this Bill impacts domestic projects in state,” Chavan told reporters here at a FICCI National Executive Committee meeting here today. He said that land acquisition is a major hurdle for the state to implement projects at the ground level.