Development plan for Mumbai ready

The state government's urban development ministry has prepared a comprehensive development plan (CDP) for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region on the directives of the Centre, to secure funds from the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM).

The MMR includes five municipal corporations other than Mumbai like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar, Kalyan-Dombivali, Ulhasnagar and various municipal councils.

A few months ago while rejecting the proposal for financial assistance to Thane Municipal Corporation's metro rail project and other projects, the Centre had advised Maharashtra to come up with a CDP for the entire region. This was to quantify the regions' needs in terms of transportation, water and sewage disposal projects and other infrastructure projects.

The Centre has so far approved only two schemes under the NURM they are the Rs 2,376 crore Mumbai Sewage Water Disposal Project and Rs 1,600 crore Middle Vaitarna Dam project for Mumbai's water supply requirement.

This will help the Centre plan to quantify the funds required for MMR and decide flow of funds during each financial year.

As per the Centre's requirements we have prepared the CDP for the entire region and sent the advance copy for their consideration, said a senior official.

After Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh returns from his US tour, the state government's nodal committee on NURM which is headed by t he CM himself will meet and the official copy of the report will be sent to the Centre, the official informed.

It's not easy to quantify the amount of funds that will be required for all projects as the CDP is a mission statement, which will mark the road ahead, he added.