Despite polls looming, state gets little in sops

Friday’s railway budget has left the state government disappointed as Mumbai and Maharashtra have got hardly anything despite the assembly elections looming. In its wish list, the Congress-led state government had proposed five projects worth Rs3,800 crore, of which only one has been sanctioned. Though two of the other four had already been sanctioned, adequate budgetary allocation has not been done.

The 265-km Pune-Nashik railway line, estimated to cost of Rs1,044 crore, is the only project to central nod. Interestingly, the project was shelved by the Railway Board in 2001 despite the positive feasibility response in a survey it had conducted earlier.

Chief minister Ashok Chavan had personally written to the Centre to provide for twelve-coach rakes on the Harbour line, keeping the rising population on the line in mind. The Rs500 crore project has also not been incorporated.

An official from the chief minister’s  office said that the state government had great expectations from the central government ahead of the assembly elections slated for September-October. “But the budget has disappointed us” he said.