After long gap,CM calls meet on four key infra projects

After being stalled for nearly a year,four infrastructure projects collectively worth nearly Rs 11,000 crore and proposed by NCP-controlled Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC),are set to be seriously discussed by the state government this month.

After being stalled for nearly a year,four infrastructure projects collectively worth nearly Rs 11,000 crore and proposed by NCP-controlled Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC),are set to be seriously discussed by the state government this month.

In a meeting with senior MSRDC officials Tuesday,Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said he would convene a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure by October 30,MSRDC officials said. The sub-committee will screen the projects for possible clearance. MSRDC chairman Jaydatt Kshirsagar,also the minister for PWD (commercial undertakings),and managing director Bipin Shrimali attended the meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan along with other senior officials.

Chavan assured that projects such as the construction of a passenger water transport system,the capacity expansion of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway,the Bandra-Versova sea link and the controversial Worli-Haji Ali sea link will be taken up for discussion.

S M Ramchadani,joint MD at the MSRDC,said,The Chief Minister just wanted an appraisal of the projects to clear the doubts he has before it goes to the cabinet sub-committee of infrastructure.

An MSRDC official said the corporation had written to the CM recently,requesting time to discuss the Worli-Haji Ali and Bandra-Versova sea link projects. Following this,Chavan called MSRDC officials for a meeting on Tuesday. During a similar meeting in September,he was given a detailed presentation on the passenger water transport projects on the east and west coasts and the Mumbai-Pune expressway capacity augmentation.

The MSRDC cleared these projects 10 months to a year ago,and sent them to state government departments for screening. However,the departments were allegedly sitting on the project files.

manasi.phadke@expressindia.com

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