NCP targets Prithviraj Chavan on expensive MHADA flats, delayed Mumbai Metro

MHADA flats were now out of bounds for the common man and as the Housing department was with the Chief Minister, he should look into the matter urgently, Ajit said.

Targeting Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, NCP today asked him to direct the state housing body MHADA to lower prices of flats in this year's lottery, and demanded a clear statement on when the under-construction Mono-rail and Metro rail in Mumbai would start operating.
Speaking to reporters here, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the rich can purchase flats at any cost, but government housing schemes were for the poor. "MHADA should ensure that there are affordable houses for the poor and the middle classes," he said.
MHADA flats were now out of bounds for the common man and as the Housing department was with the Chief Minister, he should look into the matter urgently, Ajit said.
NCP spokesperson Nawab malik echoed Ajit in his weekly media briefing later. Malik alleged that MHADA was competing with private builders, which had made buying flats in Mumbai impossible for the common man. The Chief Minister should direct MHADA to lower the rates, he said.
In a dig at the Chief Minister, Malik also said that instead of flagging off safety trial runs of Metro Rail, Chavan should take the MMRDA bureaucrats to task for delaying various projects in Mumbai.
Chavan is the chairman of MMRDA, a planning body, in his capacity as Urban Development Minister.
Projects such as Santacruz-Chembur link road, some works at Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road, eastern freeway, MUTP-1 have not been completed for over a decade, he pointed out.
Metro phase one construction started eight years ago but still trial runs were on, Malik said, adding that instead of "just showing trailers", Chief Minister should tell people of Mumbai when Metro will be available.

Mumbai's metro dream closer to reality

After 3km trial, authorities target to run it over two crucial bridges. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday flagged off the trial run of the much-anticipated Mumbai metro which ran for three kilometres between Versova and Azad Nagar. The first phase of the metro, to run between Versova and Airport Road, is expected to be operational by September. The fare will vary from Rs6 to Rs10, depending on the distance.

Following the trial run, the authorities are now working overtime to take the metro across the Andheri railway tracks, which is likely to happen only by month-end. The task of finishing the railing and electrification along the route between Azad Nagar and Airport Road is being carried out on a war footing.

The next target is to run the coaches on two bridges - Andheri railway bridge and the cable stayed across Jog flyover on Western Express Highway at Andheri - to conduct tests for mandatory certifications. It is scheduled to happen by May-end. The trial run for the metro up to Airport Road station will happen in the first week of June.

“We expect the first phase from Versova to Airport Road to start by September and the second phase from Airport Road to Ghatkopar by year-end. It has been a challenging task as the construction of this particular corridor posed questions such as decades-old and unmapped underground utilities, congested areas and never-ending traffic snarls,” Chavan said.

The Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar metro will improve East-West connectivity. Chavan on Wednesday said the cabinet committee will give its nod to metro rails in Pune and Nagpur too. The state has already given an in-principle approval to the Churchgate-Virar elevated corridor.

The Reliance Infrastructure-led consortium, Mumbai Metro One Private Limited, and the MMRDA officials faced many challenges to secure clearances from other government agencies and even to resettle project affected persons along the corridor.

Mumbai Metro trial run successful

MUMBAI: On the occasion of Maharashtra Day, Mumbaikars were treated to a successful trial run of the state's first Metro railway Wednesday.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan flagged off the 3-km long trial run of the Mumbai Metrobetween Versova and Azad Nagar in north Mumbai's Andheri suburb.

The section is a part of the 11.40km Versova-Ghatkopar corridor which will provide a vital east-west link and drastically reduce travel time from the existing 90 minutes to barely 20 minutes.

Chavan said that the Versova-Ghatkopar line will become operational by December.

He said the Metro would be extended to the adjacent Thane district and work on a separate monorail project expedited.

The Mumbai Metro's Versova-Ghatkopar first phase is being constructed at a cost of around Rs 2,356 crore by a Reliance Infrastructure-led consortium on behalf of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

Stations

This is a list of the stations of the planned Mumbai Metro.

Line 1: Versova – Ghatkopar

• Versova
• D N Nagar (Line 2 Interchange)
• Azad Nagar
• Andheri
• WEH
• Chakala
• Airport
• Marol Naka
• Saki Naka
• Asalpha
• Ghatkopar

Line 2: Charkop – Mankhurd

• Charkop
• Malad
• Kasturi Park
• Bangur Nagar
• Oshiwara
• Samartha Nagar
• Shastri Nagar
• D N Nagar (Line 1 Interchange)
• ESIC Nagar
• JVPD
• Juhu
• Vile Parle
• Nanavati Hospital
• Aryasamaj Chowk
• Khar
• Barat Nagar
• National College
• Bandra
• MMRDA
• Income Tax Office
• Cmplx Rd
• Kurla
• Barve Marg
• RC Marg
• Shivaji Chowk
• BSNL
• Mankhurd