Mumbai, Aug 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday directed MahaRail authorities to launch a wide-reaching public awareness drive and conduct local seminars to clear misunderstandings around the Rs 12,200-crore Thane Internal Metro Project.
The decision follows objections raised by residents and local public representatives regarding the ongoing work.
During a virtual review meeting, DCM Shinde instructed officials to resolve public grievances immediately and take all stakeholders into confidence. He mandated MahaRail to organise interactive workshops and display informative hoardings during the upcoming Ganeshotsav festival to explain the project’s scope and address concerns directly.
Approved to ease severe traffic congestion and streamline daily commutes to Thane railway station, the 29-kilometre internal Metro line includes 26 km of elevated route across key areas of Thane City and 3 km of underground route connecting the existing Thane station to the proposed new Thane station.
Currently, 9.5% of the overall construction is complete, with work on stations and casting yards progressing steadily. The line will integrate with Metro Line 4 at Rayladevi and Metro Line 5 at Balkum Naka, providing seamless connectivity across different parts of the city.
During the meeting, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik advocated rerouting the line through Samata Nagar, Lokmanya Nagar, and Aai Mata Temple toward Shivai Nagar, noting that the adjustment would directly benefit over 100,000 residents. Responding to the proposal, DCM Shinde directed MahaRail to complete a comparative study within three weeks to evaluate passenger benefits and minimise residential displacement.
Addressing specific objections raised by residents of Eden Woods, Hiranandani Estate, and Chendani Koliwada, DCM Shinde instructed officials to find quick, actionable solutions to resolve their localised concerns. Highlighting the project's national importance, Shinde noted that the internal Metro was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and features on the central government's priority list for urban development.
Member of Parliament Naresh Mhaske emphasised the need to build consensus among elected leaders, while DCM Shinde urged local representatives to take the lead in addressing citizens' doubts.
The review meeting was attended by Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, MP Naresh Mhaske, MLAs Niranjan Davkhare, Adv Madhavi Naik, and Ravindra Phatak, along with Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao, MahaRail CEO Shravan Hardikar, and key administrative officers.
The Deputy CM’s directives come a day after former Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay S Oka, at the interactive session, criticised Thane’s urban planning, specifically highlighting the Thane Internal Ring Metro and other mega projects as potentially illegal and lacking public consultation.
Justice Oka noted that projects like the Ring Metro do not appear in the municipal corporation's statutory Development Plan (DP) under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, making their execution legally indefensible. He stated that executing major infrastructure works without taking citizens into confidence or allowing proper public participation goes against constitutional rights. True growth means affordable housing, clean environment, and safe streets for all—not just building flyovers and metro lines.
The representatives of citizens' organisations claimed that the internal circular Metro project threatens close to 3,000 mature trees in Thane and declared they will raise objections against large-scale loss of green cover.
Source: IANS
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