Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday to brief him on the devastating rains and floods that have hit the state. He submitted a memorandum seeking substantial Central assistance to support farmers facing heavy losses.
PM Modi assured Fadnavis that the Union Government would “firmly stand behind Maharashtra’s farmers” in this time of crisis.
Gadchiroli’s big bet: green steel
Beyond immediate relief measures, Fadnavis pitched ambitious plans to transform Gadchiroli into a hub for green steel production. He urged the Centre to grant area-limit concessions to the Maharashtra State Mining Corporation for the Gadchiroli Steel City project, which has already drawn investments worth over Rs 1 lakh crore.
The district, once overshadowed by Naxal influence, now holds potential to produce green steel at costs lower than China. “This can trigger large-scale development and new opportunities for the region,” the state release said.
Three defence corridors on the table
Fadnavis also highlighted Maharashtra’s central role in the defence and aerospace industry, home to 10 ordnance factories and nearly 30 percent of India’s arms and ammunition output.
He presented a detailed proposal for three Defence Corridors aimed at attracting massive investments and creating jobs:
Pune–Ahilyanagar–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar corridor
Amravati–Wardha–Nagpur–Savner corridor
Nashik–Dhule corridor
The state has already signed MoUs worth Rs 60,000 crore and urged PM Modi to approve the corridors.
Land, metro and Mumbai projects
Another key request was the transfer of a 58-acre land parcel in Dahisar East from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Originally earmarked for a Metro car shed, the land has since been left unused. Fadnavis said handing it to BMC for public use would aid development and resolve local height restriction issues.
He also updated PM Modi on preparations for the FinTech Conference in Mumbai on October 8–9, where the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Navi Mumbai Airport and Metro-3. The state has already proposed naming the Navi Mumbai Airport after DB Patil.
Political outreach in Delhi
Apart from his meeting with the Prime Minister, Fadnavis also called on Vice President CP Radhakrishnan at the Vice-President’s Enclave. The Vice President posted on X confirming the meeting.
(With inputs from ANI)
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