Maharashtra government seeks Centre aid for rail, irrigation

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has demanded seven railway projects worth Rs 1.24 lakh crore, irrigation projects worth Rs 35,000 crore and special funds for Mumbai locals from the Union Budget to be presented in the Parliament on Wednesday. The state expects at least partial funding from the Centre for the projects. The state has prepared a wish list that includes infrastructure projects that the government want to complete within three years.

“We have demanded special funds from the Centre for Mumbai locals. We have also asked the Centre to increase limit for the affordable houses in Mumbai from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 75 lakh. We want the budget to release more funds for development of naxal-affected areas. Also, the farmers’ suicide has remained an issue for the state and we demanded more attention on it,” said finance minister Sudhir Mungatiwar. The minister had conveyed his demands to the Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in the pre-budget meetings earlier this month.

The state has laid emphasis on the railway network of Rs 1.24 lakh crore. “There are two major projects in the railway – one connecting Ahmedabad-Beed-Vaijanath in Beed district and Nagpur to Rajnandgao in Vidarbha. The Beed line is pending and the government is keen on completing it,” said an official from Mantralaya.

In the irrigation sector, the projects under the Prime Minister Krishi Sinchan Yojana and Accelerated Irrigation Programme are included. In the Accelerated Irrigation Programme, there are 199 projects. “The total cost of the projects would be Rs 35,000 crore. It is expected that the irrigation sector will increase to 120 lakh hectare from the current 48 lakh hectare. Efforts are being made to build irrigation capacity and bring more land under irrigation,” the official added.

Also, the government is expecting funds for the Rs 3600-crore Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial planned in the Arabian Sea. “We have just requested the Centre to contribute for the project. The Centre has agreed to it already and we are now expecting the same from the budget,” the official added.