The World Bank (WB) has agreed to give a loan of Rs 5,376 crore for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-II (MUTP-II), Minister of State for Railways Naik said today. Naik, who held discussions with a WB team led by Harold Hansen in New Delhi on Monday, told reporters that the loan negotiations were in the final stages and that the funding would start by December. The WB aid, he said, will help in reducing the inconvenience being caused to 59 lakh suburban railway commuters in Mumbai.

The loan will enable the Mumbai railway suburban system to have 12 more car rakes on the Western and Central Railways, quadrupling of Borivli-Virar section and conversion of traction from DC to AC as also re-engineering of EMU coaches . The Railways Ministry and state government have already signed a memorandum of understanding.

Acid attack accused to be tried for murder

In a significant development to the 1995 Dipti Khanna acid attack case, Additional Sessions Judge VK Deshpandeconfirmed last week that the accused in the case should be tried under section 307 (attempt to commit murder) and not under section 326 (causing grievous hurt). The nine accused while pleading for bail had submitted that since the case is old and they have been jailed for three years, they are entitled to bail. The police have argued that it is a clear case of attempt to murder and that section 307 has been correctly applied.

Plea against tiger safari

Sanjay Gandhi National Park has put off the inauguration of its Tiger Safari park to November 1 following a public interest petition filed by animal welfare organisation Ahimsa in the Bombay High Court challenging the project.The plea seeks to restrain the park from using its land for conducting non-forest or commercial activity such as setting up of an open air theatre, tiger safari, two more tourism zones, guest houses, botanical gardens and construction of roads within the proposed safari.

Police HQ hit by lightning

Lightning struckthe century-old Mumbai Police Commissionerate building at Crawford Market plunging the police headquarters into darkness on Monday affecting the electric supply and telephone lines.A typist received `minor shock' and wireless and tele-fax systems went dead when the lightning hit at around 5 pm, said Vasant Gosavi, ACP in charge of public relations. However, no casualty or injury was reported and normalcy was restored by Tuesday morning.