Navi Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske met with the General Manager of Central Railway to address a range of infrastructure and connectivity issues affecting his Thane Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday. The MP raised serious concerns regarding delays in the redevelopment of a key Navi Mumbai railway station, which has remained pending due to a standoff between CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation) and the Central Railways.
According to MP Mhaske, the redeveloped station constructed by CIDCO has not yet been officially handed over to the Central Railways, even though CIDCO claims the handover has already been done. The Railways, on the other hand, says that they have not received possession of the station.
While talking to the media about the Navi Mumbai stations, he mentioned, "This station is extremely critical for thousands of daily passengers, yet the project is stuck because of a lack of coordination between CIDCO and the Railway authorities," said Mhaske. "CIDCO has built the infrastructure, but the Railways have not taken over operations. Both are blaming each other, and the public is suffering as a result."
He further highlighted specific local infrastructure issues, including the pending subject of the shed at Platform No. 10 near the ladies' compartment and the Foot Over Bridge (FOB).
In a recent development, Mhaske stated that after pressure, CIDCO’s Managing Director has agreed to hold a joint meeting with the Railway authorities within the week to resolve the handover issue.
However, the MP warned that if a concrete decision is not reached soon, he would be forced to mobilise commuters and lead a protest. "If CIDCO and the Railways fail to act immediately, I will launch an agitation and will not allow the officers to sit in peace. We will bring all commuters together and protest for our rights. The public cannot be made to suffer,” Mhaske said.
