PM GatiShakti project to incorporate BMC’s Development Plan 2034: Rahul Shewale

Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale aims to integrate Mumbai's Development Plan 2034 with PM GatiShakti for infra projects, focusing on DP implementation by 2034.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC’s) ambitious Development Plan 2034 (DP) will be incorporated in PM GatiShakti, the central government’s initiative for the integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects, according to Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale.

Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale. Image Courtesy @shewale_rahul

During a round-table interaction with Hindustan Times journalists on Tuesday, the ruling Mahayuti alliance’s candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai South Central said his primary focus after winning would be on implementing the DP, a masterplan to make Mumbai a developed city by 2034. He added that “Viksit Mumbai 2034” (Developed Mumbai 2034) can go a long way in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047.

“My primary vision outlined in my manifesto is to transform and achieve Viksit Mumbai as a model city within a Viksit Bharat. During my tenure as the BMC standing committee chairman, I oversaw the preparation of the DP, which included conducting a comprehensive land use survey. My mission now is to ensure full implementation of the DP, as only 9% of the plan has been executed so far,” said Shewale.

This was also why projects such as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link or Atal Setu and the Mumbai Coastal Road, which were first planned in the 1960s and ’70s, are only being implemented in 2024. The sewage treatment plant project (STPP), conceived in the ’70s, is also being implemented now, resulting in environmental issues like polluted coastal waters. “If STPP was implemented earlier, we would have blue coastal waters by now. Additionally, despite metro rail projects being initiated earlier in cities like Kolkata, they are underway only now in Mumbai. Therefore, prioritising DP implementation is crucial.”

The incumbent Mumbai South Central MP said he had consistently raised the DP issue in parliament over the last few years, which is finally bearing fruit. “I have garnered positive responses from the PM GatiShakti project, which aims to integrate Mumbai’s DP implementation. Through GatiShakti, central government laws can be streamlined, a central authority established, and time-bound implementation ensured, as seen in projects like the bullet train,” Shewale said.

Furthermore, the 51-year-old explained that the high cost of DP implementation, estimated at ₹14.6 lakh crore, necessitates central government support for successful execution. “Hence, my objective is to maximise DP implementation within the next decade as part of my overarching campaign, Viksit Mumbai 2034 to Viksit Bharat 2047.”