CHALLENGES FOR UDDHAV

FLOOD ASSISTANCE

An immediate challenge is to provide aid to floodaffected farmers. About 9.2 million ha. of crops have been damaged. The Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP had demanded an aid of Rs 25,000 per hectare, which requires a capital of Rs 2,300 crore

LOAN WAIVERS

The new government’s agenda includes significant expenditure on loan waivers and support for farmers, including Rs 10,000 annually for small farmers. This will invite an expense of Rs 1 lakh crore

BULLET TRAIN

The new government may pull out of the MumbaiAhmedabad bullet train project. The state is expected to foot Rs 40,000 crore of the total cost, which the government would rather spend on farmers’ welfare. Uddhav Thackeray is also likely to review the allotment of 0.9 hectares at the BandraKurla complex for the bullet train terminus

AAREY COLONY

The new CM will have to take a call on the construction of a car shed for the Mumbai Metro’s Line 3 at Aarey Colony. He has been a fierce opponent of the plan, saying in September that the plan would go the same way as the Nanar oil refinery project (shifted as a result of protests). He has demanded the shed be shifted to Kanjurmarg, which officials say will cost an extra Rs 5,000 crore

COASTAL ROAD/ SEA LINK

Two major infrastructure projects in Mumbai are the coastal roadway—connecting south Mumbai to its northern tip—and the Sewri-Nhava Sheva Sea Link project. The former was conceived by the Sena, which is keen to contract the project to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation that it controls; but the project requires approvals from the Union environment ministry, controlled by the BJP. The sea link project, which exists mainly on paper, is another potential deadlock between the Centre and the state government over approvals and funding

SOCIAL SCHEMES/ GEN NEXT

Other challenges include fulfilling poll promises such as providing full meals at Rs 10 to the people of Maharashtra. Thackeray will also have to manage the groups within the Sena—seniors loyal to him and the younger leaders closer to Aaditya. Political observers say Milind Narvekar and Varun Sardesai—the right-hand men of Uddhav and Aaditya respectively—will emerge as parallel power centres