MSRDC spends Rs 119 crore on maintenance of 31 flyovers, alleges RTI activist

RTI activist Anil Galgali on Friday alleged that while the Mumbai Entry Point Limited is collecting toll at five entry points to Mumbai the Maharashtra State Road Development Corp MSRDC has allegedly spent Rs 119 crore on maintenance of 31 flyovers which was supposed to be maintained by MEP Infrastructure Pvt Ltd the company which has been allotted the right for collection of toll from the 5 entry points to Mumbai for Rs 224235 croreGalgali claims that this information was provided to him by MSRDCActivist Anil Galgali had sought information from the PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil regarding the collection of toll on the five toll nakas for entry into MumbaiAs per the press release sent to media Galgali has said that his application was transferred to the MSRDCldquoMuktesh Wadkar Executive Engineer of the MSRDC providing the details gave the papers pertaining to the award of contract to MEP Infrastructure Pvt Ltd He further informed that prior to year 201011 MSRDC was itself doing the toll collection In the year 19992000 it collected Rs 2835 crore for year 20002001 Rs 5657 crore 20012002 Rs 6512 crore 20022003 Rs 47684 crore 20082009 Rs 6865 crore 20092010 Rs 23139 crore MSRDC could not provide the details corresponding for 5 years between 20032004 to 20072008 In the year 20102011 MEP Infrastructure Pvt Ltd was awarded the contract for toll collection authorising collection up to November 19 2026 for a paltry Rs 224235 crorerdquo said Galgali31 flyovers construction costed Rs 1058 CroresldquoMSRDC has further informed Anil Galgali that MSRDC has spent Rs 1058 crore 34 lakh 66 thousand 885 for construction of the 31 flyovers The cost was to be recovered by collection of Toll on the 5 entry points to Mumbai It spent Rs 228 crore 79 lakh 95 thousand 916 which included 8 flyovers at Dattapada GMLR Jaycoach KalinaVakola Mahim National Park amp Rani Sati Marg In the Eastern Corridor it spent Rs 241 crore 40 lakh 99 thousand 450 which included Chedda Nagar AGLR CSTKurla GMLR Golden Dyes JVLR Nitin Casting amp Cadbury Sion amp Vikhroli flyovers It spent Rs 173 crore 57 lakh 55 thousand 891 on the Airoli flyover On the LBS Marg Kanjurmarg JVLR Gandhi Nagar JVLR Saki Vihar costed Rs 126 crore 91 lakh 21 thousand 889 In Mumbai city JJ Flyover N M Joshi Marg Senapati Bapat Marg costed Rs 144 crore 81 lakh 50 thousand 864 to the MSRDC On the SionPanvel corridor flyovers at BARC ChemburMankhurd Link Road Kharghar Konkan Bhavan Nerul Taloja widening of underpasses at Vashi amp Konkan Bhavan costed Rs 142 crore 83 lakh 42 thousand 876rdquo stated the press releaseGalgali has alleged that the authorities have not provided him the details regarding the toll collection and vehicle count at the toll plazasldquoI had sought information about the toll collected in the past 5 years by MEP Infrastructure Ltd and also the total number of vehicles crossing the toll nakas in these past 5 years which has not been provided withrdquo said GalgaliAnil Galgali while expressing his views stated that there are many flyovers which were constructed prior to year 2000 at the cost of the state exchequer for which too toll is being collected Also private entities like MEP Infrastructure are being given opportunities to earn huge profits which is very surprising At one end the state government is talking of closing down the toll nakas but in actuality there is no proposal to shut down these 5 toll nakasWhat MSRDC has to sayR Mopalwar MSRDC VC and Managing Director said ldquoItrsquos a complex issue and there are technical things that are involved in the samerdquo