Maha govt sets 2019 as deadline to complete most dev projects

Maharashtra government has set 2019, the year when next Assembly elections are slated, as deadline to complete most of the ongoing development projects in the state including Metro-II project and Navi Mumbai international airport, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said today.
Speaking during a debate over the motion of thanks on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao's joint address in Legislature, Fadnavis told the Council that his government has obtained all necessary approvals from the Centre for development projects which were stuck for last many years.
Taking a dig at the Opposition, Fadnavis said the Congress only announced projects but could not execute them as they failed to get necessary approvals despite having their government at the Centre.

"The Coastal Road Project was announced by former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. He held various meetings in Delhi but couldn't get permissions. We obtained all approvals in 11 months. Tenders will now be floated on April 30, work order will be issued in September and the first phase of the project will be completed in 2019," said Fadnavis.
On the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project, the CM said its mention was first made in the state Budget when he was first elected as an MLA from Nagpur constituency in 1999.
"Work order (for the project) will be issued in October-November this year and the first phase will be completed in 2019. The whole project's time-frame is four and a half years," he said.

He also set till 2019 the time limit for completion of the work at Navi Mumbai International Airport.

"We received all permissions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi within a day's time through video conferencing," he said.
Fadnavis once again gave a deadline of 2019 for the Mumbai Metro II project (from Dahisar to Andheri) and a deadline of 2020 for Mumbai Metro III project (from Colaba to Seepz).
"Metro will take some more time as it will have an underground route," he said.