MUMBAI, 14 November 2007 — Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh held a meeting of the members of Parliament from Maharastra and discussed with them projects that need to be pursued and the issues to be raised in the Parliament and taken up with various federal ministries.
Deshmukh urged the MPs to pursue railways clearance for 20 acres of land existing near the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). The proposal is to develop this land for new terminus on built-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.
“Several projects in the state were stuck up in the pipeline because of the central government’s indecision,” Deshmukh said.
The projects in the pipeline awaiting the center’s clearance include the modernization of the CST, environment clearance for INS Vikrant Museum in Mumbai, relaxing the norms for development along the coastal regulation zones and problems in the sugar industry.
Citing more problems, Deshmukh said several projects in Mumbai are suffering because of the federal government’s delay in decision making, and referred to the 706 crore rupees Mithi River development project which is locked in dispute between the two federal ministries of finance and urban development.
The Chief Minister asked the MPs to convince the federal government that even if Mithi is classified as a river it runs entirely within Mumbai and sewage and storm water from 48 drains flow into Mithi River making it a drain rather than a river. The state government, Deshmukh said, had sought 650 crore rupees financial help from the central government to bridge the Mumbai Metro Rail viability gap.
Deshmukh also told the MPs that the state government has decided to implement the Mumbai Metro Rail Project to improve the public urban transport system, but the central government has not yet given its approval to viability gap funds. And approval is also awaited for up gradation of roads in the stae for which the state has formulated Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project, the cost of the project being 2,647 crore rupees.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader and leader of the opposition in the state assembly Ramdas Kadam and 12 Sena legislators on Monday met Gov. S.M. Krishna and demanded that the winter session of the assembly be held on Dec. 3 as planned earlier instead of the re-scheduled date of Nov. 3.
Speaking to journalists after meeting the governor, Kadam pointed out that though the original date for the assembly session has been changed four times in the past, it has been done with the consent of group leaders of all political parties, and added that he had opposed he plan for rescheduling the date this year for the session which will be held at Nagpur.
“The Sena strongly oppose against advancing the winter session of the state legislature,” Kadam said and added that he Sena has sought the governor’s intervention on the issue. He alleged that the Congress party-led Democratic Front government has advanced the assembly’s winter session in view of the elections to the Gujarat Assembly elections. The Sena leader further stated that the governor gave him a patient hearing and assured him that he would look into the matter.
“My party has apprised the governor of its stance on farmer suicides and rising debt burden on the state,” Kadam said an added that the governor expressed his deep concern over the farmers suicides and said that it ws a matter of serious concern.
