Wanted

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">...a roadmap for Mumbai. The city''s the flavour of the season, but are its projects really going anywhere?</span><br /><br />There''s a buzz about Brand Mumbai these days. Everybody wants a piece of the action. Create a strong brand identity, World Bank officials said during a recent visit to Mumbai, offering a billion dollars on loan.From the Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to the Prime Minister''s Office -- everyone wants Mumbaiities to believe that they are priority now. But, is that really the case? BT audits the projects aimed towards easing our lives and finds that the road map to comfort is full of hurdles.<br /><br /></div> <div align="right" style="position:relative; left: -3"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="right" border="1" width="52.0%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" e6e6e6=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">BT suggests...</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">The biggest lesson from the Shanghai model is to prioritise. The state cabinet must have one meeting each month to clear all financial and technical hurdles in Mumbai''s projects. A monthly audit will bring in transparency and goodwill.</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">A road less travelled:</span> New road projects are a classic example of bureaucratic delays and lack of political will. For example, the progress of the Santacruz-Chembur and Goregaon-Mulund roads has been blocked. Reason? The absence of a No Objection Certificate from the Dairy Development Ministry, which has to clear the land near Kurla and the Aarey milk colony respectively. "It is frustrating to see the files not moving at all," states T Chandrashekhar, joint commissioner, MMRDA, MUIP project.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">6.5 million commuters, sentenced to hell:</span> Suburban railway upgradation is moving at a snail''s pace while the tendering process of new coaches is yet to start. MMRDA''s metro rail proposal is still pending with the Centre and the redevelopment of rail stations is being delayed due to the indecision between the BMC and railways. The Rs 1,200 crore Light Rail Transit between Versova and Ghatkopar is still in the planning stage.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Slums -- going, gone..?</span> Even as the political debate continues, growing slums are causing angst to city planners. "We have 17 major projects that cover 150 kms of new roads. For this, we have to have rehouse 50,000 families. Small wonder rehabilitation has now become my main task. But what if the cut-off year (at present 1995) to retain slums is shifted forward? Our entire project will collapse," explains Chandrashekhar.<br /><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Paisa, par kaisa?</span> Despite no assurances from the Centre, the Maharashtra government is still making rounds of Delhi hoping to get a Rs 2,000 crore annual assistance from them. "We have several foreign delegations asking for our plans for Mumbai and the clearances for all projects will come on time," states Sanjay Ubale, secretary, special projects. Deshmukh wants the city to be an international financial centre and Asia''s biggest entertainment hub from Mumbai. How do we begin? No one really knows...<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Seaway ho!</span> Mumbaiities have to wait for at least two years for a fast, eco-friendly hovercraft and catamaran ride from Gorai to Nariman Point. The crucial environment clearance from the Centre will decide the progress of the project. The marking of high tide work is still to be undertaken and requires seven agencies for the same. "We are on schedule and assisting the contractor in every way," assures Anil Lakhina, vice chairman and managing director, MSRDC.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Linked to delay:</span> The no-signal drive over the sea link is also going slow. After a three-year delay and a cost jump to Rs 600 crore (from Rs 350 crore three years ago), work on the Bandra-Worli sea link has begun with a new alignment. Environmental clearance of the stretch to Nariman Point has come through, and the MSRDC is now appointing consultants to assess plans of a sea-linkage or underground connection. The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, yet another Rs 5,000 crore ambitious link connecting mainland Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, aims to decongest the city and open new avenues. As of now, the pre-qualification process for contractors has been completed, with 40 companies applying so far.<br /><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /></div> </div>