Projects costing Rs 40,000 cr cancelled due to cost overruns: Fadnavis; 'Govt targeting Shinde', says Cong

Mumbai, Jan 14 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said infrastructure projects costing around Rs 40,000 crore have been cancelled due to sharp cost escalation, prompting the Congress to suggest the CM is targeting the Urban Development Department headed by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.

This doesn’t look like a minor internal disagreement but a major rift in the Mahayuti government, the Congress alleged.

In an interview with a Marathi newspaper, Fadnavis stated several infrastructure projects approved earlier had become financially unviable owing to steep cost overruns and changes in circumstances.

"Because of cost escalation, projects worth nearly Rs 40,000 crore had to be cancelled. These decisions were taken after due consideration and were completely bonafide," he said.

Fadnavis said the government had reviewed several proposals cleared under the Urban Development Department during the previous tenure and found that many required reconsideration in view of revised norms and financial implications.

Referring to the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR), he said amendments were necessary to remove inconsistencies and ensure planned urban growth.

The chief minister said it was his responsibility to ensure judicious use of public funds and alignment of projects with long-term planning, adding that decisions were reviewed where there was a risk of financial stress or legal complications.

He added that the government complied with court directions in matters related to urban development and environment, rejecting allegations that projects were stalled arbitrarily.

Notably, BJP minister Ganesh Naik, the arch-rival of Eknath Shinde, recently criticised UDCPR, stating it has some absurd provisions that affect the planned growth of cities.

The Congress also questioned the timing of the disclosure by the CM on the eve of polling for Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations. Notably, despite being allies in the government, the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are contesting against each other in some civic bodies.

Congress leader and AICC national secretary Sachin Sawant criticised the chief minister's remarks in a post on X on Wednesday, questioning the rationale behind stalling the projects.

"On the day campaigning ends, the chief minister is levelling allegations of mismanagement against the deputy chief ministers. This does not look like a small internal disagreement but a major rift.

"How can the chief minister decide whether it is malafide or bonafide without an inquiry? A cost escalation of Rs 40,000 crore is not a small matter," Sawant said in his post.

The BJP-led Mahayuti government comprises Shiv Sena and NCP, headed by Deputy Chief Ministers Shinde and Ajit Pawar, respectively.

Sawant also questioned why only the Urban Development Department was being targeted and asked the government to disclose details of the projects that were stalled.

He further referred to allegations of corruption made by the BJP against the erstwhile Congress-NCP government. PTI ND NSK