Uddhav-led sub-committee to push infra projects
The Maha Vikas Aghadi government has reconstituted the cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Being a coalition government, Thackeray has given representation to NCP and Congress in the committee which is expected to push the infrastructure development including Navi Mumbai airport, coastal road, Mumbai Nhava Sheva Linkj, Mumbai Metro and similar corridors in rest of the state and completion of pending irrigation projects.
The committee comprises Dy CM Ajit Pawar, urban development minister Eknath Shinde, water resources minister Jayant Patil, revenue minister Blasaheb Thorat, industries minister Subhash Desai and public works department minister Ashok
Chavan. The chief secretary will be the secretary of the committee. The notification was issued on Thursday by the additional chief secretary Debashish Chakrabarty.
Senior minister told FPJ, “None of the major infrastructure projects initiated by the BJP government during years 2014-19 was completed so far. Practically all projects are delayed. In Mumbai and around, transport infrastructure projects worth Rs2 lakh-crore are at various stages of implementation. Two metro lines in western suburbs have already missed the deadline. The Mumbai Metopolitan Region Authority has set an ambitious target of completion of the construction of 337 km of Metro lines in MMR by 2026.”
The first phase of Navi mumbai airport is being delayed beyond May 2020. The Mumbai International Airport
Ltd has pleaded for encumbrance-free land to start work as there are still there are about 300 structures, apart from high tension lines and mobile antennae.
As far as 22 km Mumbai Nhava Sheva Link is concerned, the project is likely to be complete by 2023.
Although the Supreme Court has lifted stay on the construction of the Rs12,000 Mumbai coastal road, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, nodal agency, will have to strive for its completion by December 2022. The corporation was pushing for the contractors to make up for lost time and complete by Dec 2022 or early.
Also, the govt is paying due attention on pending irrigation projects. Water Resources dept is in the mid of mobilisation of Rs20,000 crore to finish 15 such pending irrigation projects.