PM Modi’s Mumbai Visit Postponed; Fadnavis Discusses Flood Relief And Development Projects In Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Mumbai on September 30 for the inauguration of key infrastructure projects, including Metro Line 3 and the Navi Mumbai International Airport, has been postponed. The projects will now be inaugurated on October 8 and 9. During the two-day visit, the Prime Minister will also attend a fintech conference in Mumbai. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared details of the rescheduling, further confirming that the Navi Mumbai airport will be named after late D. B. Patil, the veteran Peasants and Workers Party leader.

After submitting a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking urgent financial aid for flood-affected farmers, Fadnavis made an unplanned visit to Delhi, where he met Prime Minister Modi. In the meeting, the Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister of the heavy rains and flood situation in Maharashtra and the extensive damage caused to agriculture. Modi assured him that the Union Government would stand firmly with the state’s farmers.

Beyond flood relief, the discussions also covered several major developmental issues, including the Maharashtra Defence Corridor, concessions for steel production in Gadchiroli, ease of doing business measures, and the transfer of land held by the Airports Authority of India at Dahisar.

Fadnavis highlighted that Gadchiroli, a region with immense potential for industrial development, has already attracted investments exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore. He noted that a large steel city is coming up in the district with plans for producing cost-effective “green steel,” cheaper than Chinese steel. The Chief Minister requested that the Maharashtra State Mining Corporation be granted area-limit concessions to facilitate this investment. He emphasized that such initiatives would not only boost industrial growth but also create opportunities to transform the district, which has long been affected by Naxal activities.

On the Defence Corridor, Fadnavis stressed Maharashtra’s strong role in the defence and aerospace sectors. The state houses 10 ordnance factories and contributes nearly 30 percent of India’s total arms and ammunition production. He presented a detailed proposal for three defence corridors: Pune–Ahmednagar–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati–Wardha–Nagpur–Savner, and Nashik–Dhule. These corridors are expected to attract large-scale investments and generate significant employment. The state government has already signed MoUs worth Rs 60,000 crore in this sector and has urged the Centre for formal approval.

Regarding Dahisar land, the Chief Minister pointed out that 58 acres owned by the Airports Authority of India, earlier earmarked for a metro car shed, have remained unused after the MMRDA withdrew from the plan. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now requested the land for public use and development, as the area is currently restricted due to the presence of an HF receiving station. According to Fadnavis, the transfer of this land to BMC would open up new development opportunities, resolve building height issues, and allow the land to be put to broader civic use.