Mumbai-Nagpur way will be game changer: Devendra Fadnavis

Expressing concern over the negative growth in the agriculture sector and its effect on the state’s economy, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that the proposed Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication way would prove a ‘game changer’. He said it would play an important role in development and double-digit growth. Defending the bullet train project, he stated that the bullet train had changed the economy of China.

While speaking with media persons at Suyog Camp in Nagpur, Mr Fadnavis emphasised on promoting agricultural schemes.

“Due to continuous drought in the state, agriculture sectors will register a negative growth in the next three years and that’s why we have focused on this sector,” he said. “It will badly affect services as well as manufacturing sector and we have to find out new means of development which can be possible through farm ponds,” he added.

He said 50 to 60 per cent of the population was dependent on agriculture sector. “Increase in crop production moves the market economy, it increases purchasing power of the people and ultimately it gives positive results for the manufacturing sector and vice-versa when crop production decreases.”

Citing the example of Madhya Pradesh he said, “It succeeded in increasing its agriculture growth with the help of three lakh farm ponds. We have set a target to create five lakh farmponds.”

Giving an example of seven-folded economic growth of China post its bullet train, Mr Fadnavis said, “We have to choose alternate sources of public transport such as Metros.”

Mr Fadnavis said the proposed way will pass through 14 districts from Vidarbha and Marathwada region.

He said industrial growth is centralised in Mumbai, Pune and to some extent in Nashik and Aurangabad. The reason was that these cities have connectivity with seaports. Nagpur has a dry port but is far from a seaport, so the region remains undeveloped. He said the state has set a target to complete the green field Super Communication way by the end of 2019.

Once, it is completed, all cities around here will emerge as a new centre of industrial development.