Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway cost soars by Rs 10,000 crore

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, October 29

The cost of the Mumbai-Nagpur Super-communication Expressway has risen by nearly Rs 10,000 crore since the project was mooted nearly three years ago, according to information available from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation which is executing the project.

Officials say the project is estimated to cost Rs 55,335 crore as against the original estimates of Rs 46,000 crore. The MSRDC began work on the project earlier this month and the entire project is expected to be completed in 36 months.

The 701-km expressway will comprise eight lane roads and will have optical cable fibres running beneath to provide broadband

connectivity to IT townships coming alongside, according to officials.

"The Maharashtra government has acquired 85 per cent of the 10,463 hectares of land required for the project," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said recently. Officials say, strong opposition to farmers from Nashik has resulted in delays in acquiring land in the area.

Though the state government increased compensation to five times the circle rate, farmers are hesitant to give farm land which yields three crops a year.

Funding for the project is coming most from financial institutions after the Maharashtra government acquired land for IT and industrial townships along the route. The land acquired from farmers is being used as collateral to raise funds, according to MSRDC officials.

The ruling BJP in Maharashtra is already pitching the expressway as a economic major boost to 24 districts in the region ahead of next year's assembly elections. The expressway will pass through underdeveloped regions of Marathwada, Vidarbha, Northern and Western Maharashtra.

The expressway is divided into 16 sections and various companies are developing these sections.