State set to build Metro on its own

With no bids coming in for the second Metro line thanks to the downturn, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is contemplating building eight of the nine links on its own, reports Zeeshan Shaikh.

With no bids coming in for the second Metro line thanks to the downturn, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is contemplating building eight of the nine links on its own.

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It will soon seek approval from the Centre to begin work on the Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd line, and later on the other seven routes.

The first line, connecting Ghatkopar and Andheri, is being built by Reliance Infrastructure.

The MMRDA had last year said it was keen to build all the Metro lines itself, following the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation model — the Delhi Metro was constructed using resources from the Centre, state and loans from financial institutions.

But officials at the Centre were keen that the MMRDA follow the public-private partnership model.

Now, MMRDA has decided to extend the date or submission of financial bids till March 16 to give private parties a chance to pitch in.

Seven bidders had initially evinced interest in building the 32-km Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd line. None of them, however, had submitted bids by February 13, the previous deadline.

MMRDA officials had in early 2008 set up the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation — a nodal body for constructing and running the 146.5-km Metro service in the city — as part of its attempt to build the Metro on its own rather then rely on private players.