Rly budget: ₹650-cr boost to city projects
MUMBAI: In a boost to the suburban railway infrastructure in Mumbai, the Union budget has allocated ₹650 crore for railway projects under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).
The budgetary allocation is ₹100 crore more than that of last year’s Budget when ₹550 crore was allocated.
The Mumbai-ahmedabad bullet train project has also received ₹7,897 crore as extrabudgetary resources (EBR) allocation. In the 2020-21 Budget, ₹5,000 crore was allocated for the high-speed rail corridor project.
The pink book, a document which contains the details of the funds allocated for different railway projects, was tabled by Union railway minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday in the Parliament.
The Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 2 has received ₹200 crore, MUTP 3 has received ₹300 crore, and MUTP 3A has received ₹150 crore in the 20212022 budget. In the 2020-2021 budget MUTP 2 had received ₹200 crore, MUTP 3 received ₹300 crore, and MUTP 3A had received ₹50 crore.
Critical railway projects under MUTP include a new suburban railway corridor between Panvel and Karjat railway stations, communication-based train control system(cbtc), procurement of 47 air-conditioned (AC) local trains, quadrupling of the railway line between Virar and Dahanu railway station, elevated railway corridor between Airoli and Kalva railway stations, and control on midsection trespassing. “We are happy that like in the last few years, the fund allocation has been as desired and work will get a further boost,” said RS Khurana, managing director, Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, which handles suburban railway infrastructure projects.
Further, ₹316 crore has also been allocated for passenger amenities on the Central Railway
in the union budget 20212022, a ₹21-crore increase from the ₹295.6 crore for the same purpose in the 2020-2021 Budget.
“The net plan outlet, as compared to last year is higher, and it will help promote all railway infrastructure works and projects on the Central Railway,” said Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer, CR.
Passenger associations have welcomed the budget but stated that a committee should monitor the progress of each project. “We welcome the increased allocation but the railway ministry should direct forming a committee to monitor the progress of each project under MUTP,” said Subhash Gupta, president, Rail Yatri Parishad.