Eknath Shinde On "Game-Changer" Infrastructure Projects In Maharashtra

A steel project in Gadchiroli, infamous for its Maoist footprint, the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, Atal Setu are some of the infrastructure projects that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shine spotlighted on Monday to underscore his government's focus on development.

Mr Shinde - speaking at the launch of NDTV's new regional channel, NDTV Marathi - said the state government is reaping the benefits of double-engine government (BJP at the centre and in alliance in state).

"If we look at Maharashtra in two years, Atal Setu is a game-changer project. Mumbai Coastal Road has also been started from one side. We gave momentum to many projects," said Mr Shinde.

The Atal Setu, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January, is a 21.8-kilometre-long bridge that connects Sewri in Mumbai and the Nhava Sheva area in Raigad district. The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link has been built at a cost of Rs 17,840 crore and is the longest sea bridge in the country.

"The Samruddhi Highway (Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway), the Metro car shed are symbols of our development work," the Chief Minister said.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt, a joint venture of the Maharashtra government and the Adani Group, is the biggest of its kind in Asia, Mr Shinde said.

The Maharashtra government last year approved the Adani Group's bid to redevelop the area that covers 625 acres (253 hectares), and has been described by officials as "the world's largest urban renewal scheme".

The project is a key step in reimagining one of the largest and most vibrant informal settlements in Asia. Singapore serves as an inspiring example for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. In the 1960s, Singapore's landscape was dotted with shanties, slums and ghettos, strikingly similar to today's Dharavi. From these modest beginnings, the Singapore Housing Development Board crafted over 1.2 million homes.

Over the past couple of years, the state government has also started a steel unit in Gadchiroli that gave employment to 10,000 people, with an aim to reduce Maoist activities in the area.

"My government also signed MoUs worth Rs 1.36 lakh crore at WEF Davos last year. Removing the paperwork helped implement these MoUs at lightning speed," the Chief Minister underlined.