Centre ready to approve ring metro service for Mumbai: Venkaiah Naidu

MUMBAI: The Centre is ready to sanction a ring metro rail service for Mumbai and its surrounding areas, including Thane, if such a proposal is moved by the state government, said Union urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu in Mumbai on Tuesday . He said the central government was eager to facilitate metro rail projects in several cities of the country.
The foundation stone for Mumbai's ambitious Rs 23,500-crore Metro III project, which will connect Cuff Parade in South Mumbai with Andheri via Worli and the airport, was laid in the presence of Naidu and Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday. The project is estimated to be completed within seven years.

The route for Metro III will be Cuff Parade, Colaba bus depot, Vidhan Bhavan, Kalbadevi, Matunga, Worli, Bandra, airport, Santa Cruz, and it will finally terminate at Andheri. “Most of this will be underground and cover the most crowded and congested areas of the city . Though the cost will be higher because of the met ro being underground, it will be built without causing any disturb ance to the city's existing structures o along the route,“ Chavan said.

"Mumbai's Metro III is going to be the largest mass transport infrastructure project in the country and will get an aid of Rs 13,000 crore from ` the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

“Apart from Metro III project, the Mumbai Metro politan Region Development Authority has also decided to develop several other public projects in areas away from Mumbai city,“ CM Prithviraj Chavan said.