No new infrastructure projects, funds for Mumbai

The state budget had mention of all ongoing infrastructure projects in Mumbai, but the city did not get any new projects or additional funds. Moreover, even though the Sewri-Nhava Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) found a mention in the budget, the government refrained from clearing the ambiguity about who gets to finally construct the ambitious project.

Finance minister Sunil Tatkare made a reference to the project in his budget the speech without mentioning the project implementing agency, a clear indication that the fate of MTHL’s ownership is still in limbo.

Both, the Congress-controlled Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-controlled Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), have been gunning for the MTHL project. Recently, MMRDA officials had claimed to have bagged the rights to build the link, but MSRDC chairman Jaydatt Kshirsagar said the final decision was yet to be taken.

Chief minister Ashok Chavan, when asked about lack of funds allocated for the infrastructure development of Mumbai, said that most project implementing agencies have a separate budget, and thus a separate allocation was not necessary. “Most projects are now undertaken on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. They do not require sizable budgetary allocation,” Chavan said.