Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao today addressed the joint session of the state legislature and announced a host of development projects.
"Belapur-Pendar Metro Project, having length of 11 km in New Mumbai, will be completed by July 2017," he said.
To improve public transport system in the urban area, works on Mumbai Metro Rail Line-3, and also on Nagpur and Pune Metro projects will commence soon, he said.
Out of the 118-km Metro Rail Project planned for next 3-4 years, the Dahisar to Dadabhai Naoroji Nagar route of 18.5 km, and the Dahisar (East) to Andheri (East) route of 16.5 km, with an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore, have been approved, he said.
"The government has entrusted the responsibility to CIDCO for the development of a Smart City NAINA, that consists of 30 towns around Navi Mumbai International Airport. This will focus on work areas relating to education, medical, entertainment, logistic, commerce, science, industry, etc. The state government has notified 600 sq km area for the purpose," he said.
"CIDCO has plans to invest Rs 35,000 crore for developing South Navi Mumbai as a Brownfield Smart city, covering seven towns with a total area of about 7,700 hectares. Affordable housing, metro corridors, economic and infrastructure development projects, along with Port City Development, will be the main focus of this project, which will be completed in the next four years," he said.
He said the 'Chief Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana' has been started with an estimated expenditure of Rs 13,000 crore in order to upgrade the quality of 30,000 km of rural roads and to provide for 730 km of connectivity links to wadis and habitations.
Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai has also commenced its first academic session from 2015-16, he said, adding it (Maharashtra National Law University) has already been notified at Nagpur and Aurangabad.
The government is committed to preserve, develop and promote Marathi language, he said.
"My government is celebrating 'Marathi Bhasha Samvardhan Pandharvada' every year with enthusiastic response from the public. Authenticated Marathi texts of 166 Central Acts are being made available on the website of Directorate of Languages to enable citizens to have free of cost access to the laws in Marathi," he said.
"It is proposed to set up 'Maharashtra Railway
Infrastructure Development Company' as a joint venture with the Ministry of Railways, which will expedite implementation of railway projects in the state," Rao said.
The government has decided to participate by way of equity in Port-Rail Connectivity projects for Jaigad Port and Dighi Port and also to buy 26 per cent shares in Satellite Port Project of JNPT at Wadhwan, he said.
"Navi Mumbai International Airport has received excellent response in the qualifying round of global tenders. It is targeted that the first flight will take off from this airport in 2019. It is proposed to provide necessary financial assistance to complete the work of Shirdi Airport," he said.
To provide skill training to persons in the 15-45 years age group, 'Pramod Mahajan Kaushalya Va Udyojakta Vikas Abhiyan' has been launched, the Governor said.
So far, 500 training partners have been empanelled to impart skills to the candidates as per their requirements and employ them thereafter, he said.
