Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday chaired a meeting to review major upcoming projects in the state, provisioning for Rs 53,354 crore to fund land acquisition for the state’s 11 ambitious infrastructure projects, an official statement said.
It said that CM Fadnavis has directed all relevant authorities to ensure that land acquisition for major infrastructure projects in the state is completed within the prescribed timelines.
He stated that no project should be stalled due to pending land acquisition.
Chairing a review meeting at his official residence in south Mumbai ‘Varsha’, CM Fadnavis assessed the progress of land acquisition for key infrastructure developments, including several road, rail, and airport projects across the state.
Projects reviewed included the Nagpur–Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, Virar–Alibaug Corridor, Jalna–Nanded Expressway, Pune Ring Road (East, West, and expansion), Bhandara–Gadchiroli Expressway, Nagpur–Chandrapur Expressway, Nagpur–Gondia Expressway, and the Navegaon (Mor)–Surjagad Mineral Corridor, the statement said.
The review covered land acquisition for railway lines such as Wardha–Nanded and Wardha–Gadchiroli, and airport developments in Kolhapur, Karad, Akola, Gadchiroli, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra.
He stressed that delays in land acquisition lead to significant cost escalations and inefficiencies.
“All departments have been given clear timelines, and they must adhere to them strictly. Work must proceed in mission mode, with a focus on quality and structural outcomes,” the state chief minister instructed the officials.
He said that the Shaktipeeth Expressway plan should be prepared using the PM Gati Shakti platform, ensuring minimal forest land disturbance. The finance department should allocate the required Rs 12,000 crore for land acquisition.
The Virar–Alibaug Corridor, especially the Morbe–Karanja stretch, involves forest and mangrove land; hence, clearance procedures must be initiated immediately.
He further give orders for the following projects:
– The Wadhwan–Igatpuri Expressway should be proposed under the Sagarmala scheme.
– The land acquisition for Selu in Parbhani district under the Jalna–Nanded Expressway must be completed within 15 days.
– Final project blueprints for Vidarbha region’s expressways must be finalised on the Gati Shakti platform.
– Land acquisition for Wardha–Gadchiroli and Wardha–Nanded railway lines must also be concluded within 15 days.
In the aviation sector, Fadnavis instructed the district collector of Gadchiroli to submit the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) survey for the proposed airport. He also called for extending the Akola airport runway to 2,400 metres and building a modern, large-scale airport at the location, the official statement said.
