Chief minister Chairs MMRDA meeting Joint partnership agreement between* MMRDA and SRA for redevelopment of 15 thousand slum houses Pod Taxi between Bandra and Kurla via BKC, Deep clean drive in

Mumbai, MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority) and SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority) signed a joint agreement for providing a fillip to long-pending redevelopment of around 15 thousand houses in Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar and Kamraj Nagar as per directions given by chief minister Eknath Shinde. During the MMRDA meeting held at Manralaya, the chief minister Shinde gave nod to Pod Taxi on PPP (public private partnership) model at Bandra complex along with other important infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, chief minister Shinde today gave directions for conducting deep clean drives in MMRDA area on the lines of BMC.

Chief minister Shinde chaired a meeting of MMRDA at Mantralaya. Minister for excise Shambhuraj Desai, chief secretary Dr Nitin Desai, MMRDA commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Independent Study group president Johny Josef, additional chief secretary to the housing development department Valsa Nair Singh, principal secretary to the Aseem Gupta, SIDCO managing director Vijay Singhal and others were present.

Pod Taxi

Pod Taxi would run between Bandra to Kurla stations on an 8.8 km stretch through BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex) and would have 38 stoppages. The capacity of every pod taxi would be six passengers with a speed of 40 km per hour and this service would be run on public-private partnership and chief minister Shinde gave sanction to this project in principle. Bandra station to BKC internal journey would become easier with this service. 

Slum rehabilitation

MMRDA, SIDCO and MHADA along with BMC as well as Thane municipal corporation and MMRDA would work jointly for redevelopment of various long-pending slum rehabilitation projects in Mumbai. The long-pending 15 thousand houses in Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar and Kamraj Nagar would be done jointly by MMRDA and SRA. Through this project, around 2000 houses in the slums between Eastern Freeway and Western express way resulting in vacating this road. Chief minister Shinde was present for the agreement signing of this project today.  

Slum-free Thane

The meeting also gave nod for development of vacant government land on the Thane Municipal Transport land and Thane Municipal Corporation lands after developing a bus depot through MMRDA. Chief minister Shinde said that it would lead to slum rehabilitation and would result in boosting the efforts to make Thane city slum-free.

Various projects were given revised administrative sanctions during today’s meeting. It includes Thane coastal road work joining Balkum to Gaymukh Thane creek coastline, Eastern Freeway extension work from Chheda Nagar, Ghatkopar to Thane, Eastern Express way work in Thane city from Anand Nagar to Saket which is 8.25 km elevated road, KasarVadavali Thane to Kharbav Bhivandi project, extended Mumbai urban infrastructure project, Airoli tunnel to Katai Naka, Gaymukh to Payegaon creek bridge work, Kalyan bye-pass section 8 (Runde road to Goveli road) construction.  

The meeting gave sanction to creating a special purpose vehicle (SPV) company for MMRDA. It also gave nod for undertaking works of consultants and establishing a business development cell for the same.