Eyeing the next elections, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced the deadlines of most of the infrastructure projects in Mumbai, including coastal road, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Navi Mumbai air port as well as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial at Arabian sea and said that most of the projects would be completed in 2019.
It was NCP member Jayant Patil who had criticised Fadnavis for repeating the same deadline of 2019 for almost all the projects. To this, Fadnavis gave a befitting reply to all the objections.
The chief minister informed that the previous Congress-NCP government could not avail environment clearances but his government soon after coming to power has received all the clearances, including those from environment department, Bombay Port Trust, Bombay Natural History Society and all other agencies in a matter of one year. “The CRZ clearance was availed by bringing new notification on CRZ in two months. Now, since project management consultant is appointed, project would be completed in 40 months after the tender is floated,” he said.
Fadnavis informed that Mumbai coastal road was conceptualized in 2003 and despite the fact the Prithviraj Chavan was in Delhi as well as in state as chief minister, the project could not move ahead during Congress-NCP rule. “My government got all the permission in 11 months and the project tender would be floated on April 30. The first phase of the coastal road project would be completed on July 15, 2019. I would take Jayant Patil to see the coastal road on a ride.”
Fadnavis cited the example of Mumbai Trans Harbour Link and pointed out that previous government mentioned the project in 11 budgets. He pointed out that Navi Mumbai air port needed 8 permissions and it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who cleared the project through video conferencing meeting. “Seven out of eight permissions came at one go before the video conference meeting and the last permission was ensured by Prime Minister in minimum period of the concerned agency which was seven days. The financial bids for the project would be opened after 15 days and commencement date is December 2019.”
The chief minister also informed that the permissions for Metro routes were also availed in less than one calendar year with under-ground component requiring more time till 2020 for obvious reasons. “The government was considering car shed for the Metro 3 at Aarey Colony by shifting 300-odd exotic tree species by replanting and creating another forest or looking for different alternative site for the car shed at nearby marshy spot which would cost additional Rs1,500 crore. The Nagpur Metro would be completed in August 2019,” he said.
Fadnavis also said that Malaysian government is interested in government-to-government finance and construction for the Nagpur-Mumbai communication super Expressway, which can change the fortunes for 14 districts.
“The Malaysian government has given a letter in this regard and the state government would be signing an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with them for pre-feasibility study of the project,” he concluded.