Metro Rail Corp may supervise monorail too

With the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) opting for the public-private partnership model, once again, for the Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd Metro Rail corridor, the agency is now designing a new role for the newly-constituted and out-of-work Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which was to have undertaken the construction of the second Metro Rail route.

Now, the MMRC will coordinate and monitor the Metro Rail and the proposed construction of the monorail routes.

Metropolitan Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad confirmed that as the second corridor is being taken up under the PPP model, the MMRC will now be in charge of supervising and coordinating with consultants for both, the Metro Rail masterplan as well as the various monorail proposals. This will be part of their new role irrespective of whether these projects are undertaken by state government agencies through government funding or through the PPP model. “The MMRC would be in charge for controlling, coordinating, supervising and monitoring all the nine corridors of the Metro Rail which will come up one after another, as well as the monorail projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region,” Gaikwad said.

The MMRC, the state-owned body was constituted in May on the lines of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to construct the remaining eight metro corridors after the state government expressed dissatisfaction at the pace of progress on the first route, the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro Rail. The government then changed its mind.

The second Metro Rail corridor—Charkop-Bandra-Mankhur—-is in the tendering stage with seven bidders, including consortia led by both Ambani brothers’ companies, already shortlisted and the financial bids to be invited soon. “We forwarded the draft concession agreement to the Central government and are expecting a go-ahead by next month,” Gaikwad added.