Maharashtra teams up with railway ministry to expand rail network
18 Apr 2015
Maharashtra will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) under the railway ministry to develop and deepen rail network in underdeveloped pockets in the state's hinterland.
Under the agreement, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), which is under the railway ministry, and Dighi Port Limited (DPL) will form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to build a railway line connecting Dighi to Roha, thereby integrating the region with the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).
"In the next few days, we will create a company with the Maharashtra government, which will develop rail lines in different parts of the state," railway minister Suresh Prabhu said on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai.
"The agreement will be limited to Maharashtra," he said, adding, the improved rail connectivity will help bridge development gap between regions and enlisted possible routes which may be taken up.
The project includes laying tracks in the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district in Vidarbha, setting up rail line between Kolhapur in Western Maharashtra and Vaibhavwadi in the coastal Sindhudurg district and another between Karad and Chiplun, connecting the developed Western Maharashtra with Konkan.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the construction of a railway line connecting Yavatmal, Gadchiroli, Beed, Nanded and Ahmednagar will change the entire landscape of the state.
With better connectivity with the hinterland, the chief minister said, port-led growth will play an important role in the overall GDP growth of the country, which is largely dependent on connectivity for industrialization and overall growth.
Hs said the state government is now taking a pro-active steps to meet Prime Minister Modi's vision which will integrate ports across the country and assured his complete support to the stakeholders.
The chief minister said several MoUs will be signed in the near future, adding that these developments will require new financing models which will have to be put in place.
Of India's entire coastline of 7,600 km, Maharashtra accounts for 760km Prabhu said, adding that if the state grows by 20 per cent, it will add 2 per cent to the country's growth.