Panel to decide fate of Mumbai development plan: Devendra Fadnavis

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said here that the three-member committee to review the development plan for Mumbai would decide whether to scrap it or not.

Fadnavis said that the panel submitted its interim report and had sought "reasonable time" to study the issue in-depth. The "reasonable time" could be around 15 to 20 days, he said.

In the wake of strong objections against the controversial development plan for Mumbai, Fadnavis recently announced a three-member committee headed by the Chief Secretary for it to be reviewed.

"The committee will decide whether to scrap the development plan or not. In either case, we will have to seek legal opinion, including that of the state advocate general," he said.

The Maharashtra government has also decided to take action on the report in Wakf Board land allotments, the CM said.

The government would ensure that tracts of land belonging to the Wakf Board, meant to be utilised only for charity and religious purposes, which have been transferred, would bear the name of Wakf Board again, he said.

The expansion of the BJP-led ministry would be carried out "as soon as possible", Fadnavis said, in reply to a query.

The Maharashtra government has implemented the relief package for farmers "almost in totality", the CM said.

Since it came to power after the October 15 polls, the Maharashtra state government has given around Rs 10,000 crore of assistance to farmers, he said.

Out of this, Rs 2,000 crore was towards interest-free loans to sugar mills to match the fair remunerative price (FRP). As a result, farmers would get an extra Rs 225 per tonne of sugar, he said.