Maharashtra removes Mumbai Metro Chief, MMRDA Commissioner takes over the charge

Mumbai, India (Metro Rail Today): The Maharshtra Government has transferred Ranjit Singh Doel, the present Managing Director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRC) and given additional charge to Metropolitan Commissioner SVR Srinivas to lookafter the ongoing project activities of Mumbai Metro's 33.5-km-long Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ corridor (Line 3) with effect from March 16, 2022.

MMRC is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) with join venture between Government of India and Government of Maharashtra. The corporation has been given responsibility to undertake the construction activities of Mumbai Metro's largest underground corridor as MMRDA had shown inablilty to implement this corridor.

In January 2020, 1998-batch IAS officer and Vice-Chairman & Managing Director of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), Ranjit Singh Deol took the charge of Managing Director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation from Mrs. Ashwini Bhide, 1995-batch IAS Officer from Maharashtra Cadre.

Now, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will look after the remaining activities of controversial Mumbai Metro Line 3 till new appointment of Managing Director of MMRC. After taking additional charge of MMRC, Srinivas has reviewed ongoing activities of the project on March 17, 2022. He visited BKC Metro Station to inspect ongoing works along with senior officials of MMRC.

The 33.5 km long Underground metro corridor (Mumbai Metro Line 3) will connect will connect Cuffe Parade business district in the extreme south of the city to SEEPZ in the north-centralwith 26 underground and one at-grade metro station. Once commissioned, this line will be Country's first largest underground metro corridor.

Rs 23,136 crore project involves five major entities - MMRCL, Padeco, MMRDA, CREC and JICA. This project is being funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through an ODA loan of Rs 13,235 crore (Almost 65% of project cost). However, due to delay in construction activities and pospondment of its commissioning milestones owning various reasons may increase the overall project cost of this corridor.

French multinational firm Alstom will supply the Rolling Stock coaches for this corridor. So far, over 75% of the constrcution work completed on this line but the metro depot is not yet finalised.