DNA: Mumbai: Monday, February 29, 2016.
As far as the
project cost is concerned, the Mumbai Monorail seems to be heading in the same
direction as the Metro. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority
(MMRDA) and construction firm Larsen & Toubro Scomi Engineering (LTSE) have
meanwhile agreed to disagree over the cost increase.
MMRDA is of
the opinion that LTSE is responsible, on most counts, for the price rise, while
LTSE officials blame the development authority for not providing the Right of
Way in the scheduled time limit. Around two months ago, a three-member
committee of former bureaucrats was formed to look into each of the heads of
expenditures and ascertain who was responsible fThe first meeting of the
committee, comprising Anand Kulkarni, Jayant Nashikkar and SD Limaye, was held
a fortnight ago. The retired bureaucrats will analyse and fix responsibility
for delay of each of the construction components and elements behind the Mumbai
Monorail between Chembur-Wadala-Jacob Circle.
In 2008,
before the bids were floated, MMRDA had estimated the 19.54-km project to cost
Rs1,440 crore. It was very low according to the private players. So during the
bidding stage, it was revised to Rs2,460 crore an increase of Rs1,020 crore.
As per MMRDA's reply to a Right to Information (RTI) application, however, the
price has already shot up by Rs95 crore and is likely to go up even further.
dna had
published a break-up of the cost escalation on Saturday.
Meanwhile,
according to the LTSE authorities, the increase in pricing is due to revision
of plans and alterations to design at various places. The other reason
mentioned by LTSE is the delay in land acquisition. Earlier, the Reliance
Infrastructure-led Mumbai Metro One Private Limited and MMRDA have disagreed
with each other over cost escalation of Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro line.
The reasons behind the disagreement were similar as well.
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