India, June 19 -- With four metro rail projects scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2025, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Wednesday introduced a new penalty policy, whereby contractors will be fined Rs.1-2 lakh per day for shortage of manpower at worksites.

"We have appointed dedicated team leaders for each metro package, which has made a measurable difference in site progress. This new policy is the next logical step," said Sanjay Mukherjee, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA.

"We have observed that currently, most infrastructure and metro rail projects have 40-60% of the sanctioned labour force working. So we have framed this penalty policy," an MMRDA official told Hindustan Times.

Effective immed...