Aid for farmers, defence corridors feature in CM’s meeting with Modi

Fadnavis also sought nod for three defence corridors, 58-acre land to be transferred to BMC, and mining in Gadchiroli to make steel cheaper

MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday and urged him to help farmers who have faced losses due to heavy rains that lashed parts of the state recently. Alongside, the chief minister also sought approval to develop three defence corridors in the state, transfer of 58-acre land in Dahisar to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for public amenities, and permission for mining in Gadchiroli to make steel, cheaper than China.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on Friday. (@Dev_FadnavisX) (@Dev_Fadnavis)

After his meeting with Modi, Fadnavis told media in New Delhi that he had handed over a memorandum and briefed the PM about flood-hit swathes of Maharashtra which has led to crop and property losses of farmers and damage to soil. “The prime minister has asked the state to send a proposal which will be considered constructively. I also requested him to provide as much financial help as possible under NDRF (National Disaster Relief Fund),” Fadnavis said, adding that the PM will be in Mumbai on October 8 and 9 to inaugurate the Navi Mumbai airport and the final phase of Metro 3.

Rough estimates reveal that Maharashtra is staring at crop losses in over 50 lakh hectares of farmland. The state government is in the process of conducting panchnamas (surveys to ascertain actual losses), which is expected to be completed in a week, if no fresh floods occur in the affected parts. Fadnavis said, after the assessment of damage is complete, a report will be sent to the central government seeking aid. “We have also appointed a committee to ascertain how much farm loan waiver can be given to farmers,” he added.

Meanwhile, amid ongoing relief work in the flood affected districts, a red alert has been sounded in Latur, Beed and Dharashiv for Saturday and Sunday.

Defence corridors

During his meeting with the PM, Fadnavis sought approval to develop three defence corridors – the first in Pune, Ahilyanagar and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar; the second in Amravati, Wardha, Nagpur and Saoner; and the third in Nashik and Dhule.

“These corridors will attract significant investment and generate employment. The state government has already signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) (with various defence companies) worth ₹60,000 crore. They are likely to attract further investments worth ₹3- ₹4 lakh crore,” said Fadnavis.

Modi in Mumbai

On his two-day visit to Mumbai, the prime minister will attend an International Fintech festival and inaugurate major infrastructure projects, such as Navi Mumbai Airport and Metro 3, connecting Cuffe Parade to Aarey Colony. Fadnavis underscored that the new airport will be named after DB Patil, a revered leader among project affected people (PAPs) and the broader Agri-Koli community. “The state government’s proposal to the Centre about the airport’s name was welcomed,” said Fadnavis.

Transfer of Dahisar land to BMC

The chief minister also asked the PM to allow the transfer of 58-acre land in Dahisar East, owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), to the BMC. While the land was earlier transferred to MMRDA for a metro car shed, the plan was subsequently withdrawn due to design changes. “If transferred, the land can be used for public purposes and development,” he pointed out.

A senior government official, who did not wish to be named, said, “Handing over the land to the state requires approval from the central cabinet for which the request was made to PM Modi.”

Cheap steel in Gadchiroli

Fadnavis requested PM Modi to provide area-limit concessions to the Maharashtra State Mining Corporation. “If mines are handed over to the corporation we can manufacture steel at cheaper rates compared to China. I have placed a road map for ‘Green Steel’ manufacturing in the district before the prime minister,” Fadnavis asserted.