Plan to strengthen planning authorities says Fadnavis asks for speeding up of metro rail works

Mumbai, Jan 4 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said he plans to strengthen various planning authorities and ensure they operate on a corporate model.
He asked officials to prepare a fresh timeline for the completion of metro rail projects in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and asserted delays will not be tolerated. He reviewed the progress of each metro rail corridor.
He instructed that at least 50 kilometres of metro rail lines should be operationalized annually starting next year.
The directive came during a review meeting of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
Fadnavis also chaired a meeting to review the Urban Development Department's 100-day action plan, an official release issued here said.
Additional Chief Secretary Asim Kumar Gupta presented the department's plans, including strengthening planning authorities, road development plans for 3,500 villages near cities, implementing Urban Mission projects in cities with populations over 10 lakh, computerization of building permit processes, and modifications to unified urban development and control regulations as per tourism policy.
Fadnavis emphasized the need for capital investment in urban infrastructure development, suggesting innovative financial alternatives for fund mobilization.
He also directed officials to explore possibilities of providing concessions to single-screen theatres and showcasing Marathi plays and films in the same theatre to increase theatre count in cities.
The CM approved the funding proposal for Solapur Smart City's water supply scheme, it said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)