'Will make state prominent investment destination'

Without compromising on balanced regional development, the state government would strive to make Maharashtra a prominent investment destination, governor K Sankaranarayanan said while addressing a joint session of the state legislature on the first day of the budget session on Thursday.

Without compromising on balanced regional development, the state government would strive to make Maharashtra a prominent investment destination, governor K Sankaranarayanan said while addressing a joint session of the state legislature on the first day of the budget session on Thursday.

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The governor's address is considered as the policy statement of the government. Sticking to mono and metro rail projects, the governor refrained from making specific promises for the city. Though Sankaranarayanan said that the monorail would be commissioned in the coming financial year, he did not give a deadline for it. He added that the much-delayed first metro line from Versova to Ghatkopar would be thrown open shortly.

Though the state lags behind Gujarat on the investment front, the governor said that Maharashtra had attracted 303 mega projects, bringing in an investment of Rs2.63 lakh crore, in the last five years. The investor facilitation cell coupled with the upcoming high-seed Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor would boost growth, he said.

Restating an old announcement, the governor said that 20% housing stock of any project that comes up on a plot admeasuring 2,000 sqm or more in Mumbai, too, would be reserved for the economically weak section.

On terror attacks and naxal threats, Sankaranarayanan said that the government would equip security forces with modern weapons, gadgets and training.

He said that a project by which information on crime can be shared with security forces across the country online was being implemented in the state.