MUMBAI: On Wednesday, the Maharashtra cabinet approved numerous significant projects, including the Wadala-CSMT-Gateway of India metro line in Mumbai, according to officials.
Additional initiatives include a ring metro in Thane, extensions for Pune Metro’s Line-2 and Line-4, and Nagpur Metro Phase-II.
The cabinet also authorized loans for these projects, with the state assuming contingent liabilities, as stated by the Chief Minister’s Office.
In Pune, approval was given for two new stations, Balajinagar and Bibwewadi, on the Swargate-Katraj metro corridor, alongside relocating the Katraj station, which will require an additional budget of Rs 683.11 crore.
The cabinet also endorsed state involvement in suburban rail expansion projects under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-3, 3A, and 3B, while also approving funds for the Pune-Lonavala suburban railway third and fourth lines.
Monthly assistance under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana and Shravanbal scheme for persons with disabilities, managed by the Social Justice Department, was raised by Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500.
A policy aimed at utilizing fly-ash generated by the state-run Mahagenco thermal power plants was also cleared.
Amendments to the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017, and the Factories Act, 1948, were approved as well.
In education, the government will implement the Centre’s pre-matric scholarship scheme for Scheduled Tribes students in Classes 9 and 10, replacing the previous state-run Golden Jubilee Tribal Pre-Matric Scholarship.
The Metro Line-11 project (Wadala-CSMT-Gateway of India) in Mumbai, with an allocated budget of Rs 23,487.51 crore, received the green light.
The state government’s financial participation in the long-pending Pune-Lonavala suburban railway third and fourth line project was also confirmed. This project, proposed by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), is expected to cost Rs 5,100 crore, including land acquisition. The financial burden will be shared equally between the Central Government and the State Government, with Maharashtra’s contribution amounting to Rs 2,550 crore.
Contributions from local bodies are planned as follows: Pune Municipal Corporation (20%) at Rs 510 crore, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (20%) at Rs 510 crore, and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) (30%) at Rs 765 crore. The remaining funds will be covered by the state government.
This decision is anticipated to alleviate the increasing passenger load on the Pune-Lonavala suburban rail services.
In Thane, a new elevated corridor will be developed to connect the city with the Navi Mumbai International Airport on a public-private partnership basis through the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO).
Furthermore, the government granted in-principle approval for the development of an International Business and Finance Centre (IBFC) under the ‘New Nagpur’ project, involving the acquisition of 692 hectares in Hingna taluka, Nagpur.
The Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority will also oversee the development of an outer ring road along with four truck and bus terminals.
The cabinet additionally allocated Rs 3,750 crore for the construction of a new High Court complex in Bandra (East), Mumbai, as per the Chief Minister’s Office statement.
