Thane: Industries minister Uday Samant on Thursday said the govt will hold stakeholder meetings to clarify public concerns over the proposed 29-km Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail project after legislators questioned its viability and impact in the Legislative Council.Samant said the Thane District Collector would convene the meetings within a month, involving public representatives, Metro officials and civic authorities, to clarify and address any objections surrounding the project.The assurance came after Congress MLC Abhijit Wanjari and BJP MLC Niranjan Davkhare sought wider public consultation before the project progresses.Wanjari said several residents urged the govt to reconsider the project, arguing that while Thane urgently needs better public transport, the ring metro may not ease congestion but instead create fresh urban challenges. He questioned whether the Detailed Project Report adequately factored in the city’s road network, traffic patterns and public objections.Davkhare raised concerns over the apparent lack of the ring metro’s integration with MMRDA’s metro line 4 and the suburban railway network, questioning if commuters would opt for a longer ring metro journey over a comparatively shorter trip. He also flagged fears among residents of old Thane over tunnelling beneath ageing buildings and unresolved land demarcation issues in native settlements.Samant defended the project, calling it a future-ready transport solution backed by technical studies, saying 9% of work already commenced.“ It may be recalled that widening Thane’s existing roads would require large-scale demolition and displacement. The 29-km circular corridor with 22 stations was planned after detailed traffic studies and assessments to minimise inconvenience to residents,” he said.It may be recalled that the project faced sustained opposition from citizen groups over its alignment and feasibility. TOI was the first to highlight residents’ objections. The project presently is also being closely monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office.
