Will Maharashtra Complete Land Acquisition for Key Projects on Time?

Mumbai, June 19 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, urged the administration on Thursday to expedite the land acquisition process for all significant projects in the state, ensuring they adhere to the established schedule and get underway promptly. He emphasized that no project should experience delays attributed to land acquisition issues.

This call to action was made during a meeting where he assessed the land acquisition status for critical projects across Maharashtra.

The Chief Minister conducted a comprehensive review that included land acquisition for various road projects such as the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Highway, Virar-Alibagh Corridor, Jalna-Nanded Expressway, Pune Ring Road (East, West, and Extension), and the Bhandara-Gadchiroli Expressway. He also discussed the Nagpur-Chandrapur and Nagpur-Gondiya expressways, along with the Navegaon (Mor)-Surjagad Mineral Corridor, the Vadhvan-Igatpuri Expressway, and land acquisition for various railway projects including Wardha-Nanded and Wardha-Gadchiroli, as well as airports in Kolhapur, Karad, Akola, Gadchiroli, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

During the meeting, CM Fadnavis highlighted that project delays significantly inflate costs. He has mandated a timeline for all agencies involved in the land acquisition process.

“Every agency and relevant official must operate in mission mode. The land acquisition tasks should be prioritized and initiated without delay. A strong emphasis on quality is essential,” he stated.

He called for a swift preparation of the Shaktipeeth Highway plan to minimize the ecological impact on forested areas, requesting the Finance Department to allocate ₹12,000 crore for its land acquisition.

“Given the presence of forest land and mangroves in the Morbe to Karanja segment of the Virar-Alibaug Corridor, the necessary permits must be obtained immediately, while the administrative procedures should proceed concurrently to expedite the project,” he added.

Moreover, he instructed that a proposal be submitted to integrate the Vadhvan-Igatpuri Expressway into the Sagarmala scheme. The land acquisition for the Jalna-Nanded Expressway in the Selu area of Parbhani district must be finalized within 15 days, and all expressway plans in Vidarbha, including those for Bhandara-Gadchiroli, Nagpur-Chandrapur, and Nagpur-Gondiya, should be expedited.

CM Fadnavis further ordered that the land acquisition for the Wardha-Gadchiroli and Wardha-Nanded railway lines be completed within 15 days and that work commence promptly.

He also instructed the administration to finalize the mapping of the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) for the Gadchiroli Airport, and the proposal should be submitted by the Gadchiroli District Collector. Additionally, he stressed the need to extend the runway at Akola Airport to 2,400 meters, ensuring the establishment of a modern, spacious airport.