Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis approves highest 16K crore MMRDA budget

Breaking all its record in the past, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) sanctioned financial budget of Rs 16,909 crore for fiscal 2019-2020, one of the highest budgetary allocation in the history of MMRDA.

Around 44 per cent of the budget funds were allocated for Metro projects in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Of the total, Rs 7,486 crore was allocated for ongoing and upcoming construction of Metro corridors in MMR including Rs 98 crore being allocated for the currently operational Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro-1 corridor.

While the troubled Chembur-Wadala Monorail project has got Rs 150 crore share for 2019-20. The operations for the second phase of Monorail is going to start in the next two days.

Further, the financial budget of 2018-19 was of Rs 12,000 crore of which too around 40 per cent was dedicated to Metro construction works. Apart from Metro construction, in this year's budget, Rs 3,000 crore is allocated for Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai for which construction is currently ongoing. Along with this, Rs 2,250 crore is allocated for construction of Virar-Alibaug Multi-modal corridor.

Apart from these, MMRDA also has the mandate for construction of two Memorials of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial at Indu Mill and Bal Thackeray Memorial at Mayor's Bungalow in Mahim. For both these jointly, MMRDA has allocated Rs 210 crore for 2019-20. Out of Rs 210 crore, Rs 160 crore is for Ambedkar Memorial for which construction is ongoing, and the remaining for Bal Thackeray Memorial. Along with this, Rs 100 crore was also allocated for construction of control room of upcoming Metro corridors in Aarey Colony known as Metro Bhavan.

Besides, the MMRDA also allocated Rs 50 crore for maintenance and repairs of Western and Eastern Express Highway and Rs 50 crore for improvement of civic amenities of Bandra Kurla Complex. Further, Rs 143 crore is allocated for development of road network outside MMR, Rs 100 crore for extension of Santacruz-Chembur Link Road till Vakola followed by Rs 75 crore for elevated road at Chheda Nagar and Rs 54 crore for modernisation of Mumbai University's Kalina Campus.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis who is also chairman of MMRDA asked MMRDA to prepare detailed project report for two Metro corridors namely Kanjurmarg-Badlapur Metro and a Metro corridor connecting Mumbai international airport with the under construction international airport at Navi Mumbai.