The State Cabinet on Tuesday approved the construction of an internal Metro circuit for Thane city, which will be within the limits of the Thane Municipal Corporation. The cabinet meeting, possibly the last before the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, approved 22 decisions.
The Metro line to be constructed by Maha Metro, will connect the Central Railway line and two other Metro routes: Wadala to Kasarvadvali and Bhiwandi Metro. The construction will take up to four years and is likely to cost ₹9,969 crore. The internal Metro will have 15 stations and the total length will be 29 kilometres.
“I, on behalf of all the citizens of Thane, thank Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for approving this project. A long-pending demand of the citizens of Thane has been fulfilled. It will help ease the traffic movements in the city,” Health Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde said.
The cabinet also approved the Seventh Pay Commission to professors in colleges and universities. A total of 26,741 employees will benefit and it will cost the State ₹2,584.47 crore as it will be applicable with effect from January 1, 2016.
It also cleared the proposal to name Solapur University as Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar, a long-pending demand of the Dhangar community.