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Leaders of the Democratic Front government in Maharashtra slammed the Shiv Sena on Saturday, accusing it of opposing Mumbai's development under the ambitious Mumbai Urban Transport Project.
Speaking at the project inauguration, Chief Minister Vilas Deshumukh said, "We are not going to take away the rights of the BMC [Bombay Municipal Corporation], so I fail to understand why they are opposing the project."
Deshmukh pointed out that the country's capital has the Delhi Development Authority and Chennai has a similar nodal organisation for infrastructure development. "So, what is wrong in having the MUTP in Mumbai?"
The project costing Rs 4500 crore [about US $92.78 million] is being partly financed by a World Bank loan. Its aim: to improve Mumbai's infrastructure by 2008.
The project will lay additional railway tracks in Mumbai and develop more roads and flyovers connecting the eastern and western suburbs. Besides, there is a plan to introduce new bus and train services.
Mumbai's population in 1961 was nearly 4 million. Now it's 120 million. And even this is expected to double in another 20 years; hence the need for this project.
But the Shiv Sena, which rules the city's municipal corporation, is opposing the project because it believes that the state government is out to undermine its authority through the MUTP, which will be administered by officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.
But Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said the previous Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government had pushed the state towards bankruptcy by borrowing money at "very high interest rates" for various projects and the Democratic Front government was grateful to the World Bank for partly financing the MUTP at a very low interest rate.
He said the city's population was growing rapidly and the project was essential to cater to its needs. "So, we should forget politicking in such issues and look towards development."
He also requested Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, who presided over the function, to help Mumbai start an underground railway project. Kumar, however, said he could not help in the matter. "In Delhi the metro rail was started by the local government with the help of Japanese investors," he said. "If Mumbai does the same thing, I have no hesitation in giving my blessings. At the most, I can provide my officers for expertise."
Union Petroleum Minister Ram Naik said there was a need to use water transport to ease the city's commuting problems.
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