Irrigated area in Maharashtra to increase to 40% – Nitin Gadkari
Mumbai, September 18, 2017 : Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Transport, Highways & Shipping said in Mumbai today that approval for 26 irrigation projects in Maharashtra has been given which will increase the irrigated area from 22% to 40% in two years time. He was speaking at the FICCI function- Progressive Maharashtra 2017 & National Executive committee meeting on “ Transforming Infrastructure : Current Status and impact on Growth of State Economy”. He stated that Increase in irrigation would help the farmers in Maharashtra who are suicide prone .
The Minister also stated that the Central government schemes like : port development, sagar mala, inland waterways and four lane highways would help Maharashtra in economic development .
On Cruise tourism Shri Gadkari said that a cruise terminal will be started in Mumbai, after five years 950 cruises will visit the cruise terminal . This would have a multiplier effect on other tourist infrastructure in Mumbai and Maharashtra .He assured that enough funds will be available for water transport in Mumbai .
Replying to a question on cleaning the Ganga the Minister said that the Ganga river is a sacred river and it is our responsibility to clean it .He appealed to private parties to build ‘Mokshdham’ on the Ganges in an effort to clean it .Companies can invest under the corporate social responsibility scheme and put their names on such ‘Mokshdhams’.
The Minister assured the gathering that infrastructure in Maharashtra would see a great change in the next two years.
