Maharashtra will earn Rs50,000 crore from securitisation of rights of the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, which can be loosely termed as a sale, and it will ease the financial burden on the state over its construction, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday.
The 701km six-lane corridor passes through 10 districts and the 520km Nagpur to Shirdi stretch was inaugurated in December last year.
Speaking at an event organised by a Marathi news channel, Fadnavis said, “With this move, the state will be free in the next two years from the debt of constructing the Expressway… and the money raised can be used for other issues.” The state’s debt is close to Rs6 lakh crore, which is well within stipulated limits (as per Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act), he added.
The Deputy CM also said that once the trans harbour bridge (MTHL) connecting Mumbai with Navi Mumbai and the (missing link of the) Mumbai-Pune Expressway commences, there will be a third Mumbai that will come up in that region. “The trans harbour link and the new airport in Navi Mumbai will offer a good ecosystem to new firms coming to the state,” he asserted.