| "We are keen to help. But with multiple authorities here that is Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority(MMRDA), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) and the state government, we have not come to a stage where we can offer concrete help. Also we do not know how much money the state government is putting on the table," said Chavan. He was addressing members of the Associated Chambers of Commerce. |
| "If the state government wants help in solving the city's problems mechanisms are in place.These mechanism require some basic reforms like repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling Act and the Rent Control Act. But so far, there has been no move from the state government to repeal either of the laws," he said. |
| Under the National Urban Renewal Mission norms, repeal of these laws is mandatory. Chavan added that the Centre was hopeful of convincing the state government to conform with norms over the next 2-3 years. |
| "We hope to sign a MoU in the next 2-3 years with the state government on these issues," he said. On the delay in Mumbai airport modernisation plan, he said "We have hit a temporary air pocket, but it will soon be on track." |
| He added that the government was looking at the private sector playing a "frontal role" in infrastructure developments with the government playing role of a facilitator and limiting its involvement to viability gap funding. |
| Chavan also announced that the Central government has cleared the setting up of two more Indian Institutes of Science at Pune and Kolkata each with a corpus of Rs 500 crore. |
| Assocham members demanded that the government should withdraw the Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT), promote FDI in retail and raise the FDI limit in the insurance sector to 49 from the existing 26 per cent. |
| Assocham members also called for enacting a political responsibility bill in the wake of the money for questions scam involving Members of Parliament. |
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