Tough Graffiti

• Phase I to open by 2011 will be 62.68 km and will connect Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, Colaba-Bandra-Charkop and Bandra-Kurla-Mankhurd.
  
• The second stage, 19.54 km, to be completed by 2016, will link Charkop-Dahisar and Ghatkopar-Mulund.
  
• Final phase (62.80 km) to be done by 2021 will connect Bandra-Kurla-Chembur-Kanjur Marg via airport, Andheri East-Dahisar East, Hutatma Chowk-Ghatkopar, Sewri-Prabhadevi.
  
• Total length: 145 km.
  Total cost: Rs 19,525 crore.

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The decision may turn on the issue of funds, specially in view of the recession. Says Mhaiskar: "Line 1 is a Rs 2,500-crore project; the second is for Rs 9,000 crore. These are very expensive projects. Line 3 is underground and we feel the government should give funding for it."

Part of that sentiment stems from a realisation that the flow of private funds is not entirely immune to boom and bust cycles. There are very few companies in the bidding process to choose from due to the economic downturn. Sources at the Centre also attribute the slow work to the metro being a low priority for Reliance Energy at this point. And accountability being shared among different players is a disadvantage. MMRDA officials say everyone passes the buck when things hit a bit of a logjam, as now.

But public funds too are equally fickle. Mhaiskar admits it is difficult to see the government smoothly bankrolling the whole Rs 19,525-crore project. "It's OK to say PPP is not okay, but what's the alternative? The kind of funds the Delhi Metro gets, no other Indian city will get. Why will we get it...it's easily argued that this money can be used to update the entire education system in rural Maharashtra or to build roads all over the state. So it's a question of priorities," he says.

Says Gajendra Haldea, principal advisor (infrastructure), Planning Commission, "The PPP model is as relevant as it was before. In fact, more relevant because government finances are under great strain. There is no choice but to maximise private investment in public infrastructure projects. The failure in Hyderabad was related to the selected bidder; it has nothing to do with the model itself. In Mumbai, I believe Line 1 is under construction and may become operational by 2010." Delhi Metro chief E. Sreedharan may have put on record his critique of PPPs in his letter to the panel's deputy chairman Montek S. Ahluwalia last year. But the planners have not bought it.