Sena-Cong friction trips Mumbai's mega projets

MUMBAI: The Congress��� failure to dethrone Shiv Sena at the BMC may delay major infrastructure projects in Mumbai. Both the parties had been locked in a bitter tussle as to who should run the city. With the February 1 polls settling that issue, hapless Mumbaikars will now discover it the hard way.

Though the city has elected representatives who, in turn, elect their mayor, the administrative powers lie with the commissioner who is a state government appointee. Besides, there is another body Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) involved in city planning under the direct supervision of the chief minister.

In the recent past, MMRDA and the Sena had traded charges against each other on various issues pertaining to Mumbai���s development. The Sena has held the MMRDA responsible for the city���s all woes ���including the 26/7 deluge ��� while the government-run body had criticised the BMC for its inept administration.

���Every infrastructure project brings some credit to the ruling party. In Mumbai���s case, the rulers being two different parties, there is bound to be some friction,��� a local Congress leader said.

Some of the important projects at various stages of completion are: Mumbai Urban Transport (the Rs 4,526-crore scheme being jointly funded by the World Bank, the Railways and the state government); Mumbai Urban Infrastructure (the Rs 2,648-crore module aimed at widening roads and footpaths, apart from providing bus corridors on major roads); Mass Rapid Transit System; Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Rs 6,000-crore, 25 km-long sea link project between Nhava Sheva and Mumbai); Bandra-Nariman Point Sea Link (Rs 3,560-crore project work is now half-way through); Brihanmumbai Storm Water Drains (the Rs 1800-crore scheme is awaiting central assistance); Mumbai Sewage Disposal (the Rs 1,200-crore project also in need of central nod) and Middle Vaitarana (the Rs 1,200-crore programme stuck at the central level).

���None of the schemes above can be implemented by the BMC alone. It needs the state as well as the central assistance. Both being ruled by the Congress, you may expect some delay,��� a government official said. In the past, these parties have blamed each other over the delay in completion of various projects.

The Shiv Sena has publicly accused the Congress of dragging its feet on various public works in Mumbai, while the Congress blamed Sena���s shoddy groundwork for not getting enough Central aid for the city.