A day after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)?s sterling performance in the 164 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across Maharashtra, the Centre has cleared an ambitious Rs 10,947-crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) Phase III to be implemented during 2017 and 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to make an announcement in this regard during his visit to the city on December 10. He will visit Mumbai to lay the foundation stone for the Rs 10,986-crore DN Nagar to Mankurd Metro railway line – a part of state government?s plan to increase Metro network to 118 km from the present 11.4 km.
Some of the key projects include quadrupling of the 63-km Vasai-Dahanu line (Rs 3,555 crore), doubling of 28-km Panvel-Karjat line (Rs 2,618 crore), introducing 47 trains of 14 coaches each (Rs 2,899 crore), tresspass control measures (Rs 520 crore) and Airoli-Kalwa link road (Rs 428 crore).
These are aimed to meet the demands of the ever-growing com-?muter traffic due to the rapid urbanisation. They are part of MUTP Phase III, that entails a total investment of Rs 52,000 crore.