A routine Right to Information (RTI) application filed by commuter rights activist Samir Zaveri has exposed serious lapses in transparency and inter-agency coordination regarding the Maharashtra Government’s financial contributions to the Mumbai Suburban Railway system under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).
Zaveri submitted his RTI application on June 19, 2025, seeking detailed information from the Office of the Chief Minister about the total amount paid by the state government toward train procurement and infrastructure development in the Mumbai suburban rail network.
Under MUTP, funding for railway projects is split equally between the Government of Maharashtra and Indian Railways each bearing 50% of the cost. The projects include the purchase of new train sets, upgrading existing infrastructure, and expanding the suburban railway network to meet the city's growing transportation needs.
However, Zaveri's request has been bounced between departments without a definitive answer.
On July 14, the Urban Development Department at Mantralaya informed him that his RTI request had been transferred to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), stating the information fell under their jurisdiction. Just a week later, on July 21, MMRDA sent a letter to Zaveri forwarding his application yet again—this time to the Central Railway office at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai.
“This raises serious concerns,” said Zaveri, reacting to the continued deflection. “Despite the fact that the Maharashtra Government has paid money to the Railways for the purchase of trains for the Mumbai Suburban section, no authority has so far provided a detailed breakdown or official record of the actual amount paid.”
Zaveri criticised the apparent lack of accountability and the absence of a centralized record-keeping mechanism for such substantial public expenditure. “I am shocked by the absence of a central database or statement from the Government of Maharashtra detailing such a massive expenditure. We are talking about hundreds of crores in taxpayers’ money,” he said.
Zaveri has vowed to escalate the matter further and said he plans to file additional RTI applications and approach higher authorities if necessary.
