Thane: Exactly a year after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CM Eknath Shinde flagged off the trial runs of metro route 4-4A promising operations within the next three months, the Thane unit of Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar Tuesday staged a protest reminding govt about its apparent failed promise.It may be recalled that Govt had last year announced Gaimukh-Cadbury junction stretch to be made operational by 2026. Further, transport minister Pratap Sarnaik last week took to social media announcing the route to be operational only till Kapurbawdi, leaving commuters to question the seriousness of the administration and govt.NCP-SP district president Manoj Pradhan, along with corporator Abhijit Pawar and party colleagues, staged a protest near Chitalsar-Manpada station on Wadala–Kasarvadavali–Gaimukh route, accusing the ruling Mahayuti regime of having made the false assurances to earn brownie points during the civic elections and also hinted at some nexus deliberately delaying the project beyond its promised schedule.“The metro trial run was conducted with much fanfare on Sept 22 last year where CM and his deputy along with party workers travelled in the rake between two stations. Though it was merely a test run, govt made it seem like an inauguration making us feel if the event was designed keeping the municipal elections in mind. Even a year has elapsed, there is no sign of the services to start. Further, there are differing views on the route to be made operational in the initial phase,” said Pradhan.The party also took the opportunity to raise its objection to the integral ring metro project in Thane, questioning, given that the metro 4-4A corridor couldn’t be completed even in 10 years, what would be the fate of the ring railway project.Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said the phase 1 of the metro route between Gaimukh and Kapurbawdi could be operational by the year end.
