‘Won’t seek Centre’s aid for super Expressway’

The state government will not seek funds from the Centre for the funding of 800-km long six lanes Mumbai-Nagpur Super Expressway, which connects the financial capital of country to the hometown of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

According to Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is also the implementing agency for the Expressway, MSRDC has already approached the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) for requesting to seek funds from international agencies. In such a scenario MSRDC is unlikely to take any help from the Centre.

The DEA is the nodal agency under the aegis of the union ministry of finance, which formulates and monitors domestic and international economic policies adopted by the country.

“We have been approached by many international financial agencies from Dubai, Japan, Australia, Germany and Canada. We are also exploring to seek finance from the pension funds of foreign countries. We are confident that funding the whole project will not be an issue and we are not looking for any helping hand on the funding from the Centre,” said Radheshyam Mopalwar, managing director and vice-chairman, MSRDC.

The project is to be implemented on cash-contract basis and the total estimated cost of the project is Rs 30,000 crore, which is expected to increase. Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari had assured to finance the project partly.

The MSRDC recently awarded the consultancy project to STUP consultancy and Wadia & Company for the Amravati and Nashik section respectively.

The expressway will pass through Ghoti-Amravati-Aurangabad and it has been said that the project will cut travel time to 10 hours from the current 18 hours. It will pass through the most under-developed regions of Maharashtra and MSRDC has plans to bring up IT parks, smart cities and educational hubs along the expressway wherever possible.