MMRCL assures south Mumbai residents of an in-situ policy

By DNA

In a meeting held at the Press Club of Mumbai, CST, on Friday, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) assured local residents that a rehabilitation policy would be drafted keeping in mind that residents are relocated to nearby areas.

Authorities also stayed firm about the route plan of Metro III, stating that there is no room for route alteration and the plots earmarked to make way for the project will be taken by the state. Ashwini Bhide, managing director of MMRCL, said, “A detailed study has gone into mapping the route of Metro III. Several alternatives were tested and the decision was made after a thorough check. Thus, the alignment cannot be changed or altered."

Bhide also assured residents that no residents will be evicted and no buildings will be demolished till alternative rehabilitation in the vicinity is not arranged. "The project requires a small patch of private land for constructing station entry and exit points and for certain amenities, like ventilation shafts on auxiliary sub-stations. Thus, rehabilitation will be provided to all the Project Affected People (PAPs)," he said.

MMRCL requires 33.74 hectares of government land and 5.45 hectares of private land to stage the Rs 23,136-crore utility project.