Congress: With the ‘National Crush,’ Rashmika Mandanna, publicly backing the Atal Setu bridge, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, which drastically cuts down the travel time from Dadar to Navi Mumbai from 2.5 hours to just 20 minutes, it seems the Indian National Congress took a significant hit. Presenting some facts, the Kerala Congress has now thrown down the gauntlet, proposing to produce another video highlighting the bridge’s importance.
Kerala Congress has also released some statistics, pointing out that the recently erected bridge is not being utilized by many and claiming that the Bandra-Worli sea link they built during the Congress rule is producing more “toll” money.
Atal Setu Bridge vs Bandra-Worli Sea Link
Constructed at a staggering cost of ₹17,840 crore, the Atal Setu bridge imposes a substantial toll fee of ₹250 per car for a single trip. Despite its impressive architectural design and strategic significance, the bridge, according to Congress, has struggled to attract significant traffic. In its first 102 days, it only managed to collect ₹22.57 crore in tolls, translating to a monthly revenue of approximately ₹6.6 crore, significantly below the projected ₹30 crore. In stark contrast, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, inaugurated in 2009 at a cost of ₹1,634 crore, charges a much lower toll of ₹85 per car. The Sea Link, in March 2022 alone, generated ₹9.95 crore in revenue.
In light of these facts, the Congress party took to Twitter, reaching out to the esteemed actress Rashmika Mandanna with a request: “Dear Rashmika Mandanna Ji, would you consider creating a pro-bono video to delve into why Mumbaikars aren’t utilizing the bridge? Could it be attributed to the high toll rates?”
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Will our starlet rise to the challenge and address this call, or will she opt to remain uninvolved, even as the Congress insinuates that Rashmika’s video might be construed as sponsored content by the BJP or the Enforcement Directorate? Time will unveil her decision.