Infrastructure projects in Maharashtra get vital thrust

Mumbai, March 26 (IANS) Infrastructure development in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra will get a significant thrust with a series of mega-projects lined up as part of efforts to make India's commercial capital a world-class city in the state budget for 2012-13, presented here Monday.

A host of projects totally worth Rs.1,488 crore have been lined up for the year with Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar acknowledging that the infrastructure here needs a boost.

The projects lined up include 11 new roads, seven flyovers, three creek bridges for Mumbai and three rail overbridges serving the adjacent Thane and Raigad districts.

The ambitious but much-discussed and delayed Nariman Point-Borivli West Coast Water Transport Project, estimated to cost around Rs.750 crore will be undertaken jointly by the state government, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) which serves Thane.

On the other hand, a similar East Coast Water Transport Project from Nerul-Gateway of India in South Mumbai and beyond till Mandwa in Raigad would be implemented on a Build-Operate-Transfer mode by Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation (MSRDC).

"Both these (water transport) projects are expected to be completed by June 2014. As a result, faster, cheaper and environment-friendly passenger transport facility options will be made available to commuters," Ajit Pawar assured.

Besides Mumbai, the government plans to give an impetus with financial allocation to various railway projects coming up across Maharashtra.

The projects include: Ahmednagar-Beed-Parli Vaijnath, Wardha-Nanded via Yavatmal-Pusad, Manmad-Indore via Malegaon, Dhule-Nardana-Shirpur, Vadsa-Desaiganj-Gadchiroli, Manikgad-Gadchandur-Adilabad, Chakur-Asangaon as well as goods terminuses at Aundh, Nashik, as well as new railway lines linking Pune-Nashik and Karad-Chiplun.