Finance dept questions state on Pune-Sambhaji Nagar e-way

Mumbai: The ongoing combat between bureaucrats and politicians received another impetus on Thursday, when the finance department questioned the state’s need for the Pune-Sambhaji Nagar Greenfield Expressway project, which was put up for cabinet’s approval.
Officers of the department argued that the government was already burdened by ongoing big-ticket infrastructure projects, the cumulative cost of which is approximately ₹2,88,000 crore.
“Considering the financial liabilities of the green-lit projects and the state government’s limited resources, it is judicious to complete those projects first,” the department opined on the proposal. “This proposal will increase the pressure on the state’s resources.”
The public works department (PWD) had proposed to build an access-controlled expressway between Pune and Sambhaji Nagar, stretching 250 kilometers, at an estimated cost of ₹12,500 crore, with an additional land acquisition cost of ₹3200 crore through the newly formed Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC).
Meanwhile, in the face of the department’s concern on the cost and other queries related to the project’s design, the state cabinet set it aside, but approved packages to develop the Pune-Shirur six lane elevated road at the cost of ₹7,515 crore and the road connecting Shirur-Ahmednagar-Sambhaji Nagar for ₹2050 crore. Both are smaller projects on the Pune-Sambhaji Nagar route.
“While PWD officials said greenfield expressway proposal will be amended and put up for discussion later, some packages which were part of that project were approved today,” said an official.
Officials from the department added: “The proposal is not supported by necessary documents like a map. Considering the existing roads and national highways, it is not confirmed if this new road is needed at all. PWD should confirm the need for the proposed greenfield expressway.”
The department called attention to PWD’s various road projects that add up to ₹50,000 crore. Apart from this, there are the Versova-Virar coastal road project at ₹33,054 crore, Revas-Redi coastal highway project at ₹9572 crore, Konkan Greenfield Expressway at ₹70,300 crore, Alibag-Virar multimodal corridor at ₹39,841 crore, Pune ring road project at ₹26,831 crore, among many others.
Differences between bureaucrats and ministers have been common lately.
Last month additional chief secretary (ACS) of agriculture department V Radha and agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde had locked horns over the latter’s proposal to divert money from the Namo Shetkari Sanman fund for a ₹1400 crore project to distribute nano urea and nano DAP to farmers. The ACS was at the receiving end of a volley of harsh words from the minister. The project was stalled but Radha was transferred to head the general administration department.
Likewise, when the state government proposed the ambitious Ladki Bahin scheme last month, the finance department had raised concern over the availability of funds, going so far as to say, the massive dole to the underprivileged women would drain the government’s coffers to such an extent that it may be a challenge to pay salaries of government officers from January. The flagship scheme was green-lit by the government with much fanfare, with provisions for allocations amounting to ₹35,000 crore in the current financial year.