Maharashtra: List of BMC projects in budget angers BJP

With an eye on next yearrsquos Mumbai civic polls the Shiv Senaled Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government has promised to complete the metrorsquos under construction bigticket transport and other infrastructure projects within their deadlineThe announcements in the annual budget for 202122 on Monday invited the wrath of the opposition which said claiming credit for the projects to be executed under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporationrsquos BMC budget amounted to cheating the people who expected something substantial from the statersquos coffersProjects mentionedWhile presenting the annual budget Finance Minister Ajit Pawar mentioned the projects undertaken by the BMC Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development AuthorityldquoA fourlane flyover is under construction to connect the BandraWorli sea link to MTHL which will be completed in next three yearsrdquo he added He said land acquisition for the 126 km VirarAlibaug Multimodal Corridor was in progress The project is estimated to cost R 40000 crHe also mentioned the desalination project to be set up at Manori Malad saying that the preliminary survey was done and the final project report was expected by December 2021ldquoMumbairsquos transport needs to be upgraded to the international level The work on all 14 metro corridors is in progress Of these metro2A and 7 will be completed by this yearendrdquo he saidPawar said the BandraVersova sea link costing R 11333 cr was being constructed and a feasibility report for the BandraVersovaVirar sea link estimated cost R 42000 cr was being prepared The tendering process of the GoregaonMulund Link Road estimated cost R 6600 cr was on he stated ldquoThe Mumbai Coastal Road is progressing rapidly and is planned to be complete before 2024rdquo he announcedAccording to Pawar the sewage water treatment plants at Worli Bandra Dharavi Ghatkopar Bhandup Versova and Malad were being undertaken at the cost of R 19500 cr and rejuvenation of the Mithi Dahisar Poisar and Oshiwara rivers will be started this year at the cost of R 2000crThe Dy CM said that among the cityrsquos major upcoming tourist attractions was the late Balasaheb Thackerayrsquos memorial which has been approved at a cost of R 400 cr ldquoSeeing a tremendous response to the batteryoperated cycles in BKC we will start creating dedicated cycle lanes along the western and eastern expressway this yearrdquo he addedStarted by BJP govtHowever Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis said most of these projects were conceived and started by the previous governments ldquoIt is for the first time that the state government has mentioned them and taken credit for the projects taken up by the municipal corporationrdquo he saidA senior BJP leader from Mumbai Ashish Shelar said the government has disappointed Mumbaikars ldquoThe government read out the names of the projects that were started by the BJP government How can the state government pat its back by mentioning the projects that are part of the Mumbai municipal corporation Itrsquos nothing but cheating the peoplerdquo he saidBUDGET HIGHLIGHTSHealthcare Post Covid counselling and treatment centers will be set up at every district hospital and government medical college in urban areas A project costing about R 7500 cr for construction and upgradation of health institutions will be completed in the next four years Rs 5000 cr for quality health services in the Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats Out of this R 800 cr to be given his year Cancer Diagnosis Facility in 150 hospitals New Government Medical Colleges at Sindhudurg Osmanabad Nashik Raigad Satara Parbhani and Amravati 11 government nursing schools affiliated to government medical colleges will be converted into nursing colleges Physiotherapy and occupational therapy colleges to be set up in all 17 government medical collegesFarmersrsquo welfare Zero percent interest crop loans to farmers who take crop loans upto a limit of Rs 3 lakhs and repay in time 33 percent concession on the pending electricity bill If the farmers pay 50 percent of the remaining arrears by March 2022 additional 50 percent of the remaining amount will be waived off Rs 2000 cr scheme for Strengthening of Agricultural Produce Market Committee APMC Rs 2100 crore for creating markets and value chain projects under Balasaheb Thackeray Agroibusiness and Rural Transformation ProjectUnder Sharad Pawar Gram Samrudhi Yojana grants will be provided to rural beneficiaries for construction of permanent cowsheds goat rearing or poultry sheds and compostingOthers Expenditure of Rs 348750 crore for reducing pollution in industrial estates Old diesel buses of State Transport Corporation will be converted into environmental friendly CNG and electric buses The bus stands will also be modernized An outlay of Rs 1400 cr Rs 682952 cr have been earmarked for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Ramai Gharkul Yojana and Shabari Gharkul Yojana Rs 3000 cr for the renovation and repairs of dilapidated government and Zilla Parishad school buildings Rs 1131578 cr for the relief and disaster managementassistancePilgrimage development and monumentsThe MVA government has promised development funds amount not specified for two dozen pilgrimage sites including Ashtvinayak Jejuri Gad Saptashrungi Gad and others across the state It has also promised funds for the development plan of Shri Kshetra Narsi Namdev Dist Hingoli the birthplace of Saint Namdev Maharaj who is revered by the Hindus and Sikhs