Govt to spend Rs 2 lakh cr on Maha road projects: Gadkari

A total of Rs 2 lakh crore will be spent on expanding as well as building new roads in Maharashtra in next five years, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said here today.
"At present, Rs 20,000 crore are sanctioned for various road development projects in Konkan area of the state alone," the Transport Minister said.
Gadkari performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the four-laning of Kashedi-Parshuram Ghat section of the NH-66 near Hatkhamba junction.
"We not merely announce the road projects but also see to it that they get completed within stipulated period of time. We are going to complete all the road widening projects in next two years," he said.

The four-laning of the entire Mumbai-Goa highway would cost about Rs 3,570 crore.
Gadkari said that besides development of roads, water transport will be promoted in Konkan and Goa.

"The current truck container traffic on the Mumbai-Goa highway should be converted into water transport. In near future, container and shipping transport will be started on Konkan coatal line," the minister said.
He said a subsidy of Rs 10 to 12 lakh will be given to small fisherman to buy trawlers replacing their old boats.
"This will help them to go beyond 12 nautical miles for fishing. This will help them net more fish," he added.

Gadkari said the highest possible rates will be given for acquisition of land for road widening projects.
He also expressed the need to set up a maritime university on Konkan coast.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the NDA government believes in timely implementation of projects.
"We are planning to set up a green refinery in Konkan belt through which one lakh employment opportunities will be generated," the CM said.
He said the land owners whose lands will be acquired for the project will be compensated with the package that will be the highest in terms of money in the country.

The development of NW-1 through the JMVP will facilitate
diversion of a substantial portion of this cargo through IWT route to this ports, the official said.
The government is developing NW-1 with technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs 5,369 crore.
The project would enable commercial navigation of vessels with capacity of 1,500-2,000 tonnes.
Phase-I of the project covers the Haldia-Varanasi stretch.
The project includes development of fairway, Multi-Modal Terminals at Varanasi, Haldia, and Sahibganj, strengthening of river navigation system, conservancy works, modern River Information System (RIS), Digital Global Positioning System (DGPS), night navigation facilities, modern methods of channel marking, construction of a new state of the art navigational lock at Farakka, etc.