Nagpur-Mumbai expressway: State government to sanction Rs. 12,000 crore to develop 24 townships.

The development of 24 townships along the 710 km stretch of Nagpur-Mumbai Supercommunication Expressway will require Rs. 12,000 crore. The state government has agreed to provide Rs. 500 crore for each township (node) along its ambitions project and is working on a draft model focused on agro-industries.

However, every node may have a different characteristic depending on geographical and local requirements. The move will witness development of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), cold storages, and food processing units among others.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the authorities to expedite the planning to facilitate its execution by October-November 2016.

Taking the initiative, Fadnavis on Friday held interactions with elected members representing Parliament and state Assembly to elicit their views and also dispel apprehensions related to the project which would require acquisition of 20,000 hectares of land as it navigates through more than ten districts including Nagpur, Wardha, Buldhana, Amravati, Thane, Washim, Mumbai, Bhiwandi, Aurangabad and Akola. It will cover 27 talukas and 350 villages.

Last week, the chief minister had announced that a project titled Nagpur-Mumbai Maharashtra Samrudhhi Mahamarg will adopt land pooling model which makes farmers/landowners stakeholders in the project. Also it has been pointed that out of 20,000 hectares of land, only 1600 hectares are irrigated. The remaining 18,400 hectares are non-irrigated and barren.

A senior (MLA) said, “Majority of questions related to the project was over land acquisition process. The emphasis was that farmers’ land acquired for the project should not render him without any agriculture activities. Secondly, industrial units should correlate with the agriculture activities in the region.”

Fadnavis said, “The primary objective of the government in promoting the project is transformation of 14 drought districts into economic prosperity. The development model will emphasise on strengthening agriculture and industrial activities in the districts.”

It was also explained that land pooling model was given the consent as it makes farmers/ land owners stakeholders and ensures developed land is returned to them to enable higher long-term dividends, which is many a time more than the financial compensation package. Fadnavis appealed all political parties to support the project for changing lives of people through development. The 710 km project will bring travel time between Nagpur-Mumbai to eight hours from current 16 hours.

In the monsoon session, commencing on July 18, the state government is planning to bring an amendment in the Maharashtra State Highway Act to incorporate land pooling model, being accepted in all states across the country.

During the presentation, it was emphasised that in the land pooling model, farmers are assured greater remuneration. The model enables the farmers/ land owners to voluntarily sign ownership rights with a government authority or a single agency. It is then the responsibility of the authority to develop the land with all basic amenities and infrastructure namely water supply, sewage lines, electricity, concrete roads, transport facilities among others. Every farmer/ land owner is returned developed plots in accordance to ratio of land acquired, which helps them to earn a sustained income as, after getting developed land price escalates and matches the market rates.

THE INDIAN EXPRESS