While most official meetings and decisions in the Mantralaya have taken a back seat since the election code of conduct assumed foreground, there were two subjects deigned important enough for the CM to attend to
While most official meetings and decisions in the Mantralaya have taken a back seat since the election code of conduct assumed foreground, there were two subjects deigned important enough for the CM to attend to. Both of them concerned Mumbai. 
Helping hand: Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan attended two crucial
meets with city developers to discuss housing issues. File pic
On Tuesday, CM Prithviraj Chavan chaired a crucial meeting to hear out the developers from the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI) on the current scenario relating to the housing sector in the city. He also spared considerable time to go through a presentation on the 35-km coastal road project.
While no decision was announced on the demands by developers, MCHI asked for quick action on the part of the government. In its presentation, MCHI reminded the CM that a high-power committee headed by the Chief Secretary has held 12 meetings to speed up housing projects and reduce the waiting period for various permissions. Also, at least five meetings have taken place at the level of the CM. Now, said MCHI, the government should bail out the sector from the current phase of recession by not insisting on the new Development Control Rules (DCR) approved in the first week of this month.
Other demands included doing away with the NoC granted by the Urban Land Ceiling department, since the act was abolished three years ago, and rollback of the 46 per cent hike in the Ready Reckoner announced this month.
Coastal roadu00a0
The same day, BMC Commissioner Subodh Kumar who headed an expert panel on the coastal road project, made a presentation to the CM on the 35-km-long coastal road connecting Nariman Point to Kandivli, at the cost of Rs 10,000 crore.u00a0
The report the 10-member panel submitted to the CM has recommended implementing the project which, according to them, can be completed within five years.
The project will have as many as 18 entry and exit points at various locations. It will not affect the mangrove cover, but will require reclamation of land, the committee has said. The project needs eco-clearance, says the report.
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