Mumbai Beat

MAY 30: After harping on the need for commercial utilisation of railway land for over a decade now, Indian Railways has finally taken the...

MAY 30: After harping on the need for commercial utilisation of railway land for over a decade now, Indian Railways has finally taken the first concrete step in that direction. The foundation stone for construction of a multi-storey station complex at Borivli was laid by Union Minister of State for Railways Ram Naik this morning.

The proposed station will be a 10-storey structure with railways occupying the first three floors. The rest of the building will be leased out to interested parties for running their commercial enterprises, and the lease period would be 90 days. The buildings will be constructed by Indian Railway Construction Company IRCON.

8220;This is the beginning of a new era in the history of Indian Railways,8221; claimed Naik, adding that if it is successful in Mumbai, the scheme would be replicated elsewhere in the country.

Keeping the need for laying more tracks in mind, the whole structure will be built on stilts. A basement floor with parking facilities, a concourse on the ground floorand railway offices on the first two floors will comprise the first phase of the project.

Twenty-nine local ticket counters and 18 outstation booking counters will add to passenger amenities, which include a first-class and an AC II-class waiting room. All footover bridges on the existing station will be connected to the building. The construction of the building complex is unlikely to be completed in one go. Even as it completes the first three floors, IRCON will conduct a survey of the real estate scenario in the area before going in for construction of the rest of the building. 8220;We seek the help of developers in the area to give us ideas on how to go about it,8221; said Naik.

HSC results by June 5

The HSC results are expected to be announced on June 5, according to Board officials. However, the chairman of Mumbai Divisional Board of SSC and HSC, S Abidi said that the official announcement of the dates for declaration for HSC and SSC results will be made tomorrow.