Maharashtra has completed 93 per cent of land acquisition for the 700-km Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, according to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“In less than 12 months, the state has acquired 93 per cent of the land needed to build the Mumbai-Nagpur 700-km super communication highway with 24 nodes or interchanges that will be developed as smart cities along its path,” American brokerage Morgan Stanley said in a note quoting the CM as saying. The note is based on a June 13 meeting between Fadnavis and the brokerage in New York.
According to a recent report, the state requires 8,636 hectares, including 7,290 hectares of private land for the mega project, which ran into controversy due to protests against land acquisition, including by ally Shiv Sena.
The state is aiming to issue work contracts this month and start work after the monsoons, according to the report. The project is split into 16 packages and 18 companies, including Reliance Infrastructure and Larsen & Toubro, who have bid for 13 of the 16 packages.
The note said Fadnavis is focussing on Mumbai as a gateway to Maharashtra and concentrating on improving its infrastructure, which will take up to five years to fructify, he said.
Source: Press Trust of India