Everytime we talk about Amchi Mumbai there is a big nostalgia for all ex-mumbaikars (as they call the residents of Mumbai). The city is known for its hustle and bustle life. There is tremendous amount of energy there and its known for its Financial Markets, Commodities markets, Bollywood, Corporate Houses, Fashion, Underworld…There is nothing wrong in saying Mumbai is putting together New York, LA and Paris in one city.

About 20M live in this city and daily there is a huge influx from all over India to earn a livelihood. Every person who has made it big here has come from outside the city. Naturally the city is choking and the muncipal budget to maintain and better the conditions is a paltry sum and add to it some corruption on top of it.

PM Manmohan Singh wants to change this and he had given a directive to his congress CM to comeout with a plan to make it a world class city and a financial hub. It is glad to know the CM has declared a plan today.

As reported by PTI news in Mid-Day,..

The Maharashtra government has drawn up an ambitious US $60 billion (Rs 2.25 lakh crore) action plan for makeover of Mumbai, aimed to convert India’s commercial capital into a global financial hub.

“Our government is serious on transforming Mumbai into a global financial centre and the plan is aimed at transforming the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) into a modern urban centre,” he said in an interview to PTI in Mumbai today, on the eve of his Democratic Front government completing three years.

“Call it the 2020 vision if you like. The Rs 2.25 lakh crore-plan would be implemented during the next 10 years”, he said.

Areas adjoining Mumbai, like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar and even part of Raigad district, are included in the MMR.

“Just developing Mumbai will not do. There need to be more townships in the adjoining regions. The objective is that people should not congest the city. People crowd Mumbai because they go to office or business here. If we provide the same facilities outside, they will not congest the city,” he said.

Deshmukh said: “Mumbai makeover plan is aimed at creating world-class infrastructure and to set up an integrated urban transport system using existing suburban rail, ambitious metro rail system, hovercraft, sealink and road connectivity.”

For the integrated urban transport system, a unified metropolitan authority called Urban Transport Management Authority would be set up to bring about an integrated fare structure and linkages among various modes of transport.

The operational integration would attempt at coordinated routine and scheduling rail, rapid transit system, bus services and water transport besides unification of fare structure, rationalising redundant services and coordinated public information system.

By this integrated approach, a commuter can buy a single ticket at the starting point and use different modes of transports such as suburban rail, metro rail, waterways and road transport to reach a final destination.

As part of the project, Mumbai city would have nine metro corridors, which would be mostly elevated, connecting various suburban points upgrading the three railway suburb network, providing Worli-Nariman point sealink, East Island Freeway and waterway between Borivali-Nariman Point.