Mumbai, Nov 15 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday questioned the delay in completion of the Mumbai Trans Habour Link (MTHL) project and inauguration of the fully completed Navi Mumbai Metro, saying it is adding to their costs and giving scope for corruption.

He alleged the completion and inauguration of these key infrastructure projects are being delayed purposefully.

Thackeray said the MTHL, the 6-lane, 21.8km road bridge between Sewri (Mumbai) and Chirle (Navi Mumbai), is now likely to be inaugurated by the end of December.

'The pertinent question is why this delay? When the MVA government was in office, then-CM Uddhav Thackeray had launched its first girder (of MTHL) and as a minister it was my duty to visit the site every month to track its progress,' he said.

'By the time our MVA government was toppled by immoral means (in June 2022), the project was 85 per cent complete. Now, it's taken them almost a year and a half to complete the rest?,' the former minister said.

Same is the case with the Worli-Sewri Connector and Coastal Road (South-bound), which were to be completed by October and December 2023, respectively,' said the MLA from Worli in central Mumbai.

The state government's 'hatred' for the metropolis has led to deliberate delay in these projects, causing increase in cost, corruption and inconvenience to Mumbaikars, he alleged.

'The Navi Mumbai Metro (11km-long) is awaiting inauguration since the last five months. They (ruling coalition leaders) have time for campaigning in other states (where assembly polls are being held), but don't have time for inauguration of a project in the illegal CM's home district (Thane),' he said, hitting out at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

'Party first, people last' policy of the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP is damaging Maharashtra, the opposition legislator said. PTI MR RSY