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Metro opening pushed back - Times of India - 14.6.11 Jun 14, 2011, 05.52am IST TNN 
[ Ashley D’Mello ]MUMBAI:
This is the third time that the inauguration for the 12-km route date has been changed.
In fact, the change in date was not announced; it was a poster at the Metro site near the new Lalbaug flyover, which stated the completion date as July 2012.
Officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the planning authority for Metro, admitted that the inauguration would be delayed. An official said it had to be pushed back owing to the slow progress in work on the line as well as stations. “Trial runs on a part of the tracks are likely to begin by the end of the year. After that, changes will have to be made to ensure that all safety standards are met with. This is why the date could be extended to ensure that everything goes smoothly when the trains finally start running,” they said.
MMRDA chief Rahul Asthana recently threw a hint of the impending delay when he promised to try and complete the work but did not set a deadline.
Though critical of the constant change in the date of inauguration, the transport circles agreed that the agencies met quite a few challenges to build the lines. “The railways has only recently granted the MMOPL the permission to build a bridge over the Western Railway tracks near Andheri station. The task of constructing another bridge over the Jog Flyover on the Western Express Highway is Herculean. These constructions will take some time,” an official said. The Mumbai Metro One Private Ltd (MMOPL) is laying the tracks.
An MMRDA official said the delay was due to slow progress in work on the tracks as well as stations
Refers TOI Report “METRO OPENING PUSHED BACK TO JULY 2012”
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As predicted by Citizen groups, VAG route is having no ray of hope of completion and gradually heading towards a dead end!
5 simple questions we must ask amongst ourselves:
Q1 What punishment should be given to the Authorities and PPP partners for non-complying of their promised time schedule of December 2010?
Q2 The Economic loss for the exchequer due to delay (as per DPR-Nov. 2006) is around Rs. 44 crores per month, out of which the fuel loss itself attributes to Rs. 20 crore per month. How this huge incremental amount be ever compensated?
Q3 Why media perpetually supports the irresponsible statements by the authorities?
Q4 Why should the exchequer suffer for deliberately destroying their quality of life?
Q5 What line of action should be enforced, if even July 2012 dead line is defaulted?
Please be vigilant, our city is systematically getting destroyed not by any outsiders but by our own Civil Authorities!
Your response awaited …….
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Nitin Killawala.
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Artical
[ The citizens’ wait to take their first ride on the Metro just got longer. Instead of the earlier promised date of March 2012, it will be in July that the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar route will be thrown open.
