SCOMI'S MUMBAI MONORAIL PROJECT ON COURSE

By P.VIJIAN

NEW DELHI, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- Scomi Engineering Bhd, successful bidder of
the RM1.85 billion Mumbai monorail project with its partner, Larsen & Toubro Ltd
(L&T), says work has not been affected by the terror attack in Bombay.

Scomi senior vice-president (special projects) Kanesan Velupillai said a
30-member experts team, comprising Malaysians and Indians, was drawing up plans
for the mega project in this city -- unperturbed by the terror attacks on the
financial cpaital last week.

"Since we received the LOI (letter of intent), we have assigned a team to
finalise the alignment, to set up the depot and the workshop," he said.

"There was a slow down in work progress over the last few days but now we
are in full swing. We can't delay and we are on track," Velupillai told Bernama
on the sidelines of the Urban Mobility Conference here.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority awarded the RM1.85
billion project to Scomi and its co-partner L&T last month to build the
19.5km monorail track, stretching from southwest of the city at Gadge
Maharaj Chowk (Jacob Circle) heading northeast to Chembur.

The project, India's first such undertaking, is expected to be completed
in
30 months from the date of the letter of acceptance.

"We are still on track in terms of investments in India, we are not
wavering
from the issues in India. Security is an issue but we are taking proper
precautions," he said.

"We are a global company and we are operating in countries like in Sudan
and
Nigeria which are very difficult countries. It's not something that we are not
accustomed to. It is a question of taking proper precautions and risk management
measures," he said.

More than 190 people were killed and over 300 wounded in the suicide
attacks
by militant terrorists.
-- BERNAMA