Infra projects worth Rs 13,000 cr stuck in bureaucratic alleys

The projects cleared by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) six to eight months ago are still to reach a cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure chaired by CM Prithviraj Chavan for vetting.

“Some projects are with the urban development secretary,some with PWD and others with the transport secretary. We have had several meetings and urged them to clear the projects,” said Jaydatta Kshirsagar,PWD minister (public undertakings) and MSRDC chairman.

The NCP leader claimed all queries raised by the departments were answered satisfactorily about one-and-a-half months ago,but the files had not moved.

“I have asked the chief secretary to intervene to fast-track the proposals,” he said.

Chief secretary Jayant Kumar Banthia said: “Not a single proposal is pending before the cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure. I have asked the MSRDC chairman to expedite proposals.”

The east and west coast projects planned more than a decade ago will create a transportation network from Borivali to Nariman Point and Mandwa to Ferry Wharf using waterways.

MSRDC has,in principle,finalised bids for construction of jetties and related infrastructure costing Rs 753.4 crore and Rs 356 crore and the projects have been cleared by the ministry of environment and forests.

MSRDC has proposed termination of a contract signed with Reliance Infrastructure in June 2010 to extend Bandra-Worli Sea Link in public-private-partnership.

The project has remained a non-starter due to differences between MSRDC and Reliance over viability gap funding and land for a casting yard. Once the cabinet sub-committee approves scrapping of the pact,MSRDC proposes to build the extension costing approximately Rs 2,600 crore.

The extension towards north — Bandra-Versova Sea Link — has also been accorded a green nod.

MSRDC has also proposed adding lanes to Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune road and building additional tunnels from Khopoli to Sinhagad Institute of Technology at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore.

“A policy decision has to be taken by the sub-committee in this regard,” Kshirsagar said. Same is the case with the second phase of Solapur Integrated Road Development Project.

MSRDC has finalised a bidder for widening and strengthening the 700-km Nagpur-Aurangabad-Sinner-Ghoti-Mumbai highway,on cards since 2002,and is awaiting cabinet approval.

The corridor,which will cut travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai to a day,will cost about Rs 1,600 crore.

No progress on…

n Worli-Haji Ali and Bandra-Versova sea links

n Mumbai-Pune Expressway expansion

n Nagpur-Aurangabad-Sinner-Ghoti-Mumbai highway

n East and west coast water transport projects

n Second phase of an integrated road development project in Solapur