Maharashtra may rope in Chinese firm to rev up trans-harbour link project

Fadnavis hints 22-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, with outlay of Rs 11,000 crore, could be completed by 2019

The Maharashtra government is looking into the proposal of a Chinese company to construct the ambitious Rs 11,000-crore Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, connecting the metropolis to Navi Mumbai.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accompanied Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent China visit and was quite impressed with the company, which had constructed a 42-km bridge in three and a half years.

The company has proposed to construct the 22-km link between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

Fadnavis revealed this on Wednesday evening during an interaction with representatives of infrastructure and realty companies. He did not divulge the name of the company.

The chief minister also assured that all  pending approvals and clearances for the project would be in place in the next two months.

The government hopes to launch the construction by the end of December and complete the project in three and a half years before the Assembly election in September-October 2019.

Fadnavis’s announcement is the second such development in Mumbai’s infrastructure revamp plan in a matter of days.

On Monday, the Centre gave environment clearance for the 35-km Mumbai coastal road. The Netherlands government and companies have agreed to provide technical support for the project report and construction. Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has already expressed its desire to provide 80 per cent loan for the project, approximately Rs 8,800 crore. Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is at present in talks with Jica, whose board is yet to approve the loan proposal.

Officials of the authority told Business Standard Jica is yet to get any formal communication from the government. MMRDA is following up with Jica for an early nod on the loan.

The government would take a call on the proposal of the Chinese company as well.

A source said, “The project will be implemented on a cash contract. A contractor will be appointed through competitive bidding to complete the project, which MMRDA will own.”

The decision to develop the link on a cash contract was taken after contractors kept away from the bidding process last year.