Contractors are now considered as partners in development, as a team

<span style="font-weight: bold;">PRAVIN DARADE, Additional Metropolitan Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), </span>and Secretary to Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra, highlights the big-ticket projects in the pipeline in the state and the massive opportunities these represent for the Indian construction industry. <p></p> <p>I take this opportunity to share the work we are doing in MMR and the infrastructural plans coming up for transforming Mumbai in the coming five years with world-class infrastructure and transportation facilities.<br /> <br /> Keeping in view the CM's vision, contractors are now no more considered as contractors, but as partners in development, as a team. <br /> <br /> We are on time, and Mumbai is going to make a record of completing the metro within the shortest time without any time and cost overrun. In this process, contractors, as my partners, have a major role to play, and they are working beyond their hours for this. <br /> <br /> In the pipeline are nearly 11 metro lines. We have started work on three lines: Metro Line 7, 2a and 3. Within a few months, we will start work on another two lines, 2b and 4; and in another four or five months, we will start work on lines 5, 6 and 9. <br /> <br /> All these lines put together will have a network of more than 200 km and a carrying capacity of more than 90 lakh passengers daily. <br /> <br /> Besides, the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link is an ambitious project connecting Mumbai with Navi Mumbai. We are finalising bids for this 22.5-km sea link worth Rs 17,000 crore by the end of October. We hope to get clearance from JICA, after which work will start soon; it will open up the eastern side of Mumbai. The area will also witness affordable housing on a large scale, which will also to a large extent solve the housing problem in Mumbai. Once this sea link comes up, these areas will provide for travel to south Bombay within less than 30 minutes. <br /> <br /> We are also undertaking several multi-modal projects - corridors connecting Alibaug to Vasai-Virar; Mumbai to MMR; metro from Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan to Dombivali and Taloja from Dahisar to Mira-Bhayander. There is also a 450-km metro network plan in MMR as per its regional plan of 2004. <br /> <br /> We are also developing one of the biggest, world-class memorials of Dr BR Ambedkar, for which we have floated tenders and will start work soon. <br /> <br /> Besides, we are also working on bringing improvement in the Mumbai and MMR region by connecting and constructing bridges across the creeks, flyovers, etc. More than 800 tenders have been awarded through an e-portal from the single organisation of MMRDA itself, worth more than Rs 28,500 crore. <br /> <br /> To view his entire speech, log on to www.ConstructionWorld.in/pravindarade</p>