The World Bank (WB) has slammed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for the slow progress of the Santa Cruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR).

A WB team, which completed its study of the progress of works under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) recently, has pointed out that the delay in the SCLR project is causing cost escalation and taking away the "time-saving benefits" from the end users. The WB team three years ago had suspended its funding for some of the road projects under MUTP after it found the resettlement work to be unsatisfactory.

Recently, the MMRDA invited tenders to add one more flyover to the SCLR project which has been the most-delayed component of MUTP. Work on the 3.64 km long SCLR began in July 2004 and the original deadline was December 2008. But the project is now expected to be completed by May 2010.

Like the SCLR, the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), another road component of MUTP, has also missed its deadlines and the slow progress of work is causing an enormous amount of inconvenience to road users.

But the WB has asked MMRDA to expedite the implementation process and achieve project objectives. The World Bank and MMRDA have agreed to reinforce staffing capacity to help speed up the completion of the road links.

Also See:

WB to part fund the MUTP Phase II (10-Feb-09)

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