Mumbai: Metro 2A was fined ₹ 36 Lakh for jumping deadline

Mumbai: The reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query has revealed that the deadline for the completion of Metro 2A from Dahisar East to DN Nagar in Andheri West was extended by 36 months and the contractors were fined Rs36 lakh for the delay.

The information was provided by the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation, which supervised the construction of this Metro line, to RTI activist Anil Galgali in its reply to his application. The application was made to the Mumbai Metro Regional Development Authority (MMRDA), which forwarded it to the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation.

Mr Galgali had sought information from the MMRDA about the current status of the Metro work and the penal action imposed on contractors. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation informed that Metro 2A was scheduled to start on December 31, 2019.

The first phase from Dahisar East to Dahanukar Wadi was launched on April 2, 2022, whereas the second phase was completed in January 2023, starting from Valnai and ending at Andheri East.

The Rs36 lakh fine was levied essentially for the delay in electrical, signalling and telecom work. A fine of Rs4.44 lakh was imposed on Mavin Switchgears and Controls, Rs1.50 lakh on Sterling and Wilson and Cimechel Electric, Rs1.53 lakh on Jackson Ltd, and Rs28.54 lakh on KTK Group, China.

Mr Galgali said, “The fines were imposed only as a formality. For a project that cost over Rs12,000 crore, the collective fines ought to be Rs40 crore. Moreover, the authority has not cited reasons for the delay in project completion.”