DNA: Mumbai: Saturday, February 27, 2016.
Although the
Mumbai metropolitan region development authority (MMRDA) was in denial, but the
cost of Mumbai Monorail project has already escalated by around Rs95 crore.
Since the
project took off in 2008, till March 2015, there has been an increase of cost
by Rs22.78 crore.
As on January
2016, the MMRDA has spent a total of Rs2,554.81 crore on both the phases of the
project as against the initial cost of Rs2,460 crore. Thus, the price hike till
now has been Rs94.81 crore and it is likely to increase further in the months
to come.
As per the
data, under RTI, available with dna, in the financial year 2013-14 the cost
overrun was Rs18,82,96,992 and Rs3,95,80,924 in following fiscal year of
2014-15.
However, the
precise cost escalation will be calculated once both the phases of Mumbai Monorail
(Phase-1 Chembur-Wadala Depot and Phase-2 Wadala Depot-Jacob Circle) will be
completed and only after the project gets ready for passenger operations by
September-October. But an official shared that the price variation is likely to
be around 15 per cent.
In the last
two years, or since inauguration on February 1, 2014, the MMRDA has spent
Rs17,18,84,322 on operation and maintenance of the monorail trains between
Chembur and Wadala Depot.
The initial
deadline for the ambitious and prestigious project was December 2010 (first
phase Wadala to Chembur) and May 2011 for Wadala to Jacob Circle. But the
project has witnessed repeated deadline revisions.
Two years
ago, senior MMRDA officials claimed that despite the delay, the project cost
has never been escalated from Rs 2,460 crore. In 2008, MMRDA had estimated the
19.54-km long project's cost at Rs1,440 crore, which was very low according to
private players and during bidding stage it was revised to Rs2,460 crore.
HEADS
AMOUNT (in Rs)
Bills
22,40,99,89,926, Operation
& Maintenance 17,18,84,322, Utility 35,08,02,176, Customs Duty
1,09,43,70,977, Octroi 51,22,70,559, Value Added Tax 45,99,51,389, Service Tax
32,10,03,344, Escalation 22,78,77,916, TOTAL 25,54,81,50,609
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