Basic facilities like toilets, petrol pumps and food malls will soon come up along the Samruddhi Expressway. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to appoint consultants to set up these basic facilities along the route. “Of the 16 locations, at least four locations on the highway should be developed keeping tourism purposes at the centre of the planning,” Fadnavis added.
There have been complaints over the lack of facilities along the expressway. FILE PIC/SHADAB KHAN
Commuters have been criticising the expressway as it lacks basic facilities, especially citing the need for these to prevent driver fatigue and accidents. On Wednesday, Fadnavis chaired the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee meeting at his official residence, Varsha Bungalow in Mumbai. Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar (NCP) and Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena), Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary (public works) Manisha Mhaiskar, Additional Chief Secretary (finance) OP Gupta, and other senior officials from law and judiciary departments and MSRDC were present during the meeting.
During the meeting, the CM instructed MSRDC to develop basic facilities on the Samruddhi Expressway. The project to develop a 204-km-long four-lane cement concrete highway connecting Nagpur and Chandrapur was also approved. Fadnavis suggested that while constructing any road in the future, an “ecosystem” should be developed in the area. “Officials should plan for this by acquiring land in advance,” the CM added.
Fadnavis asserted that a time-bound programme should be implemented to complete the projects. “Technology-driven systems should be set up to check pending dues and ensure that the department pays only for the work done,” he said. According to the statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, work on infrastructure projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore is currently being carried out in the state.
