PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for two key Metro rail projects and a mass housing scheme in Kalyan, on the outskirts of Mumbai, on Tuesday. The two metro corridors include the Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan stretch (Metro 5), a 24.9-km corridor that will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 8,416 crore, and the Dahisar-Mira-Bhayander line (Metro 9) that will run 10.3km and is to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 6,607 crore. Officials at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said the Metro 5 corridor, with 17 stations, is expected to carry 2.29 lakh commuters daily when it will be inaugurated in 2021. The elevated Metro 9 corridor, comprising eight stations, was expected to be completed by 2022 and will be integrated with the Dahisar-Andheri (Metro 7) corridor, they added. “We have floated tenders to appoint a contractor for the civil works of the two metro corridors. Construction will begin in March 2019,” said an official. Modi will also launch a housing scheme comprising 90,000 units under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Lower Income Groups (LIG). Officials at the City Industrial and Development Corporation (CIDCO) said the project will be built in the Taloja node, around railway stations like Juinagar, Sanpada, Kharkopar and Bamandongri, and some bus terminals. “Of the 90,000 houses, 53,000 will be built for the EWS category and the remaining 37,000 for LIG category. A large number of houses is likely to be built in the Taloja node. We will complete this project in three phases within three years,” said a CIDCO official. Ahead of Modi’s visit, the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation has also started working on spraying chemicals in the Adharwadi dumping ground to tackle the stench. The dumping ground is located opposite Phadke ground where the event will be held in Kalyan (West). However, the Uttar Bharatiya Mahapanchayat will protest against PM’s visit by showing black flags. The members claimed that the central government has not undertaken many development works in Uttar Pradesh despite PM Modi being elected from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. The Mahapanchayat announced the move after its interaction with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on December 2. He urged north Indians in the city to question their leaders for the lack of development in Uttar Pradesh.
