Centre's green signal for Maharashtra mega projects

Maharashtra's proposed mega projects like Mumbai's Coastal Road and Pune Metro have got the centre's green signal, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.

The final notification for the multi-crore Coastal Road Project will be issued within 15 days and will prove a boon to Mumbai commuters, he said after meeting several union ministers in the capital.

On the long-pending Pune Metro Rail Project, the Maharashra government will submit a revised DPR to the central government by November 15, after which clearance will be granted.

A special purpose vehicle will be established shortly to handle and speed up all pending railway projects across the state, Fadnavis added after meeting Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.

These include: Karad-Chiplun, Vaibhavwadi-Kolhapur, Ahmednagar-Beed-Parli (261 km) and Lonand-Phaltan-Baramati (54 km). Work on the Wadsa-Desaiganj-Gadchiroli (50 km) route is expected to start by March 2016.

Prabhu said his ministry had allocated Rs.4,400 crore in the current year for railway projects falling fully or partly within Maharashtra, up from Rs.1,560 crore last year.

In 2014-15, the railways commissioned 50 km of new tracks in the state. This is expected to go up to 127 km this year.

In the current year, the Udhna-Jalgaon (86 km) doubling, Kasu-Roha (26 km), Godhani-Kolumna (6 km) and Hotgi-Tilati (9 kms) are due to be commissioned.

Prabhu suggested that nodal officers from the railways and the state government meet every week to review the progress of the work.

Fadnavis also met Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and discussed various projects including the upcoming the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link and the conservation of Western Ghats.

Javadekar made it clear that consideration would be given to environment protection before approving any developmental projects and directed all steps to ensure there is no damage to the environment.