Maharashtra sets up state-level unit to oversee MMR Economic Growth Plan

This unit will be responsible for supervising the other committees formed to implement the MMR Economic Master Plan at the state level. The establishment of the unit was formalised through a Government Resolution issued by the state government on Wednesday.

NITI Aayog’s Growth Hub (G-HUB) concept aims to create urban growth hubs in select cities across India, with the goal of formulating economic growth policies for urban areas and developing roadmaps to achieve them. The pilot phase will focus on four cities: Mumbai Metropolitan Region (Maharashtra), Surat (Gujarat), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), with Mumbai Metropolitan Region being the selected pilot city-region.

For the implementation of the MMR Economic Master Plan, several bodies have been set up, including a Growth Hub Regulatory Board chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a Growth Hub Coordination Committee chaired by the chief secretary. A Project Implementation Authority and a Project Implementation Unit have also been created to carry out the plan.

However, due to challenges in monitoring and supervising the Project Implementation Unit, which is under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the state government decided to form the state-level Project Implementation Unit to streamline operations and oversight.

According to the Government Resolution, the state-level unit will assist the Growth Hub Governing Board and the Growth Hub Coordination Committee by providing solutions to challenges in the MMR Economic Master Plan’s implementation. It will also place key issues before the committees and seek guidance from NITI Aayog as necessary.

A report from NITI Aayog on MMR’s development targets doubling the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the next five years, aiming to transform Mumbai and its surrounding areas into a global economic hub. The region’s current GDP stands at Rs 12 lakh crore (USD 140 billion), with a target of reaching Rs 26 lakh crore (USD 300 billion) by 2030. The report also highlighted a need for the creation of 30 lakh new employment opportunities, adding to the existing one crore jobs in the region.