BMC to rope in external agency to repair, reconstruct RoBs in city

After years of bickering with the Railways over taking responsibility of rail overbridges (RoB) in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed

After years of bickering with the Railways over taking responsibility of rail overbridges (RoB) in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed to rope in Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (MRIDCL) to provide expertise and overlook the repair and reconstruction of 11 critical RoBs and one rail underpass.

HT Image

This will be the first time that the civic body will work with an external agency to ensure coordination between the two authorities. A proposal for the same has been tabled at the standing committee meeting, scheduled for Thursday.

MRIDCL is a joint venture between the state, the Railways and the ministry of road and transport.Vijay Singhal, additional municipal commissioner (bridges), said, “This will ensure better coordination when it comes to repairing or maintaining RoBs in cases where the two agencies are involved. The rail corporation will be coordinating with the Railways and with BMC...so things are expected to be smoother.” Apart from bearing project costs, BMC will also pay 11% of the entire project cost to MRIDCL as administration charges. The civic body will also pay 8.25% of the project cost to MRIDCL for maintenance. RoBs at Byculla, Chinchpokli, Reay Road, Currey Road, Ghatkopar, Grant Road, Mahalakshmi and Tilak railway lines are being taken up for repairs and reconstruction, along with a rail underpass at Matunga.