‘Work on 50 pc SCLR stretches could’ve been done earlier’

“We have been hearing that the project has been delayed due to encroachments,resettlement of people and right of way issues,but we found 13 spots were clear and the work could have been done there much earlier,” said Jitendra Gupta,member of the Citizens’ Transport Committee. “The right of way issues was just one of the reasons for the delay.”

The group said there are just five spots—Netaji Nagar,CST Road near Vidyanagar,a stretch near Kurla depot,Amar Mahal junction and the Halao pool bridge— where the project is stuck due to encroachments and rehabilitation of project affected persons (PAP).

“The cost of the project would have been lesser had the construction been completed on stretches without any encroachment or resettlement issues,” Gupta said,adding that the project cost surged five times to Rs 550 crore due to the delay.

Officials from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA),the nodal agency for the project,said getting the right of way for an entire stretch and then starting work enables the construction to progress in a smooth manner rather than working in patches.

Construction on one section of the project has been stalled for the past few months due to a dispute between contractor Patel Engineering and MMRDA over price renegotiation.

The SCLR,work on which started in 2003,is being constructed under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project to improve connectivity between the eastern and western suburbs of the city.