The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday, 28 July approved a significant expansion of the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC)'s financial base, raising its authorised share capital from ₹25 crore to ₹500 crore and its paid-up share capital from ₹25 crore to ₹225 crore. The Cabinet session also cleared a sweeping set of judicial and governance measures, including the creation of specialised courts across Maharashtra.

MRVC Capital Expansion: What Changed and Why

Incorporated in 1999 with a paid-up capital of just ₹25 crore, the MRVC has long operated with a capital base that officials say is no longer adequate for the scale of modern rail infrastructure. The corporation's equity is split between the Ministry of Railways, which holds a 51 per cent stake, and the Maharashtra government, which holds the remaining 49 per cent.

The expanded capital is intended to strengthen MRVC's capacity to execute projects under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), including MUTP-III and MUTP-3A/3B — covering line extensions, quadruplication, station upgrades, and the deployment of Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling systems. Projects such as the 3rd and 4th railway lines between Pune and Lonavala are also in the pipeline. The total portfolio currently handled by MRVC is valued at nearly ₹64,644 crore.

Notably, the enhanced capital base is also expected to improve MRVC's ability to negotiate favourable terms on multilateral loans from institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the World Bank, while ensuring smoother working capital management without delaying project timelines.

Specialised Courts Approved Across Maharashtra

The Cabinet cleared several judicial infrastructure proposals from the Law and Judiciary Department. A dedicated Special Court in Pune will be established to exclusively try cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

A District and Additional Sessions Court has been sanctioned at Karjat in Ahilyanagar district, along with the requisite judicial and administrative posts. Additionally, a Civil Court (Junior Division) and a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court will be set up at Kurduwadi, Taluka Madha in Solapur district.

The Cabinet also cleared the establishment of Exclusive Special Courts in Ahilyanagar, Parbhani, Solapur, Nanded, and Yavatmal for the expedited hearing of cases filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, as amended in 2015. This move is aimed at reducing pendency in atrocity cases, which has been a persistent concern raised by civil society groups.

Other Key Governance Decisions

The Cabinet granted formal approval to create the post of Managing Director at the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and AgriTech Innovation under the MahaAgri-AI Policy, signalling the state's intent to institutionalise its agri-technology push.

An ordinance was approved to amend both the Maharashtra Gram Panchayat Act, 1959 and the Maharashtra Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti Act, 1961. The amendment grants elected representatives holding reserved seats additional time to submit caste validity certificates issued by the Caste Scrutiny Committee.

The Cabinet also amended Section 48(7) of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, under which illegal excavation and transportation of minor minerals will now attract a fine equivalent to 10 times the royalty value — a sharp escalation in penalties aimed at curbing rampant sand and mineral mining violations.

What Comes Next

The MRVC capital restructuring will require formal procedural steps to reflect the revised share structure between the Centre and the state. Judicial appointments and infrastructure for the newly sanctioned courts are expected to follow through departmental orders. The ordinances on panchayat acts will take immediate effect pending legislative ratification.