PM for unified transport authority in Mumbai

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today advised the Maharashtra government to set up a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority for better coordination among the different modes of public transport which will coexist in the city after the introduction of metro rail in Mumbai.

He was speaking at a function, organised for the foundation stone laying ceremony for Mumbai Metro's first line between Varsova-Andheri and Ghatkopar.

Creation of such an authority will help to create the seamless and efficient integration of all modes of transport, Singh said.

Elaborating on the role of the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM), Singh said, "NURM is not about funding urban infrastructure and creating fly-overs, metros, high speed buses and subways. It is basically about improving the quality of life for all our citizen in urban areas, especially the poor. It is also about improving the urban governance."

However, the real dose of strong medicine about the NURM and the precondition attached with it was administered by the Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil, Chief Secretary DK Shankarand and numerous ministers and officials who were present.

Grounds for the use of strong words was created by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, who demanded that for rapid growth of Mumbai, the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) Act, should be repealed.

Reddy said: "For the success of NURM, state governments must abolish archaic laws like ULC, Rent Control Act and lower the stamp duty rates. And I wonder, despite several other states repealing the ULC Act, why the Maharashtra government is dragging it's feet from doing so. In fact at some times I think the Maharashtra government develops some kind of mental block, whenever they hear the words ULC repeal The regressive laws like Rent Control Act and high stamp duty rates have not helped anyone except land mafia."

He further said, "We have received projects worth around Rs 10,000 crore from the state government about Mumbai's infrastructure for financial aid by the central government and they are being cleared on priority basis."

"For the metro project we have already committed to provide assistance of around Rs 500 crore to finance the viability gap funding," Reddy added.