New Delhi:
Mired in controversies and clearances for years, is Mumbai's second international airport at Navi Mumbai now set to take off?
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh convened a special meeting today to check the status of key infrastructure projects like three airports and an elevated suburban rail corridor, promising to fast track them.
Besides the airport at Navi Mumbai, it includes Pune's new proposed airport in Rajgurunagar, and expansion of the international airport at Nagpur.
Speaking to the media this evening, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said he expects the Navi Mumbai International Airport to be operational by December 2017.
"CRZ and environmental clearance have been obtained. CIDCO will develop this project and RFQ or request for quotations will be underway by the end of this month or early next month", he said.
The Chief Minister also said that last week negotiations were concluded with land owners opposed to their lands being acquired for the airport. "It is going to be a cashless settlement. It's land for land. For every hectare of land acquired, 12.5 per cent developed land will be given to PAPs or project affected persons and in terms of current market value this would work out to 19.5 cr per hectare. This is an unprecedented package. And I think that's the way to go."
With defence operations set to increase at Pune's Lohgaon airport, which is a defence airport, Pune's new international airport will come up in Rajgurunagar near the Khed SEZ. Over 1200 hectares of land is needed for the project which will have two parallel runways. The airport will be developed by the Airports Authority of India.
The elevated surburban rail corridor between Churchgate-Virar was also discussed. The rail corridor will be a fully air conditioned rail network over the existing tracks. A traffic projection study will also be undertaken for the same to understand future volumes of usage of the proposed corridor.
These projects are, in fact, not new but even years after being announced, have not really seen any concrete progress. With the PM's push, many in the state and particularly in Mumbai, will be hoping, these infrastructure projects can move into top gear.