In a big boost to the infrastructure development in Maharashtra, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2021-22 speech today (Monday, February 1) announced Rs 5,796 crore for Nagpur Metro Rail Project Phase II and Rs 2,092 crore for Nashik Metro.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appreciated the Centre's announcement. He tweeted: "Congratulations Nashik! Congratulations Nagpur! We are happy that GoI appreciates our innovative approach & accepts model of #NashikMetro as a National Project. Not only this, but Nashik metro model will be implemented in other Indian cities too."
"In today’s #AatmanirbharBharatKaBudget GoI made a provision of ₹2092 crore for Nashik Metro. Thank you Hon PM @narendramodi ji , Hon FM @nsitharaman ji ! Nagpur Metro Phase-2 too got ₹5976 crore. Both these proposals were sent during our tenure of Maharashtra Government," he added.
The Finance Minister also announced that metro lite and metro neo will be launched in Tier 2 cities.
She announced Rs 14,788 crore for the expansion of the Bengaluru Metro by 58.19 km. Chennai Metro Phase 2 will be built at a cost of almost Rs 62,000 crore, she added.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the central government is allocating Rs 1,10,055 crore for Railways.
She also announced an outlay for capital expenditure amounting to Rs 1,07,100 crore.
Sitharaman said that the plan of the government is to create a future-ready Railways system by 2030. "Indian Railways has prepared a National Rail Plan for India 2030. The plan is to create a future-ready railways system by 2030 - bringing down the logistic cost for the industry is at the core of a strategy to enable Make in India. I am providing a record sum of Rs 1,10,055 crore for Railways of which Rs 1,07,100 crore is for capital expenditure only," she said.
The Finance Minister said to further strengthen, high-density network and highly utilised network routes of Railways will be provided with indigenously developed automatic train protection system that eliminates train collision due to human error.
"High-density rail networks and highly utilized rail routes to be provided with indigenously developed automatic train protection system which will eliminate train collision due to human error 100 per cent electrification of rail broad gauge routes to be completed by December 2023," she added.
(With ANI inputs)
