Delay in rehabilitation of PAPs of Mumbai Metro 3 leads to escalating costs: RTI

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The rehabilitation of tenants affected by the Mumbai Metro 3 project has encountered significant delays, causing project costs to soar and placing an increasing burden on public funds. An RTI response obtained by activist Jeetendra Ghadge has revealed that the rehabilitation process, initially slated for completion by 2024, has been postponed by at least a year, with project expenses rising substantially.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) had originally planned to complete the construction of rehabilitation buildings for 576 Project Affected Persons (PAPs) from Girgaon and Kalbadevi across three different residential high-rise buildings. However, according to revised timelines, only one building is expected to be ready by July 9, 2025. The second building's completion is now projected for November 26, 2026, while the completion date for the third building remains undetermined as the tendering process is still ongoing and construction has yet to begin.

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This delay has forced MMRCL to continue paying transit rent to the displaced tenants, leading to a significant increase in costs. RTI data revealed that in the financial year 2017-18, MMRCL paid Rs 2.38 crore in transit rent to PAPs from Girgaon and Kalbadevi. By the financial year 2023-24, this amount had ballooned to Rs 46.39 crore - a staggering 1,800% increase. This exponential rise in transit rent payments highlights the financial strain on MMRCL and the growing burden on taxpayers.

Social activist Jeetendra Ghadge of 'The Young Whistleblowers Foundation' expressed deep concerns over the prolonged delays, he said, "As the Metro 3 project continues to face setbacks, the affected tenants and the city's taxpayers are left to bear the brunt. It's been seven years since the PAP tenants vacated their homes, and given the current track record, this deadline could be extended further. The MMRCL needs to streamline its processes and prevent further delays, or else this project will continue to drain public resources with no clear end in sight."

"The ongoing delays not only affect the displaced tenants but also highlight the broader issues of project management and accountability in large-scale urban infrastructure projects, with significant implications for public funds and trust in the system," he added.