MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): Eknath Shinde-led rebel Shiv Sena and BJP have removed numerous obstacles from the way of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flag-off Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
The Maharashtra government approved allocating forest land in Maharashtra for the project and took action to overcome land acquisition-related obstacles by signing a shareholder agreement with National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).
Chief Minister Shinde instructed officials to finish all land acquisitions for the bullet train by September 30.
NHSRCL official stated that “land acquisition has picked up the pace” and that there have been “recent positive developments” regarding the bullet train project in the state.
The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will enable three-hour travel between the two cities at a speed of 320 km per hour. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing funding for the Rs 1.1 lakh crore project, which will have a total of 12 stations, eight of which will be in Gujarat and four of which will be in Maharashtra.
While the work has progressed rapidly in Gujarat, the project was off to a start slow in Maharashtra. The pace of land acquisition was slower in Maharashtra as there was stiff opposition from land owners and a lack of political will, with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena strongly opposing the project.
The Eknath Shinde-led BJP-Shiv Sena rebel government came to power on 30 June as 40 Sena MLAs walked out of the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to forge an alliance with the BJP. The MVA government comprised the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress.
A fortnight after coming to power, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, held a cabinet meeting and stated to the media that CM Shinde has given all the clearances for the project.
