MAHARASHTRA Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the upcoming Vadhvan Port in Palghar district will be a “historic chapter” in India’s development journey and drive the state and the country’s economic growth for the next three decades. Fadnavis was speaking to reporters after reviewing the progress of key infrastructure projects in Palghar, which he said would transform the region. The Government would ensure local communities become partners in this growth, he said. “The Vadhvan Port will drive the economy of Maharashtra and the country over the next 30 years. It will become a historic chapter in India’s development journey,” Fadnavis said after inspecting the project site. The upcoming port at Chinchani beach, where a natural water depth of 20 metres is available 10 km offshore, will be an all-weather greenfield facility. Spread over 1,448 hectares, it is estimated to cost Rs 76,220 crore and is planned to be completed within the next 60 months, said officials. The CM also reviewed works at the Boisar station of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, proposed Vadhvan International Airport, Naringi Creek Bridge, and the Uttan-Virar Sea Link, they said. Referring to the high-speed rail project, Fadnavis said the Boisar and Virar stations in Palghar would spur economic activity by improving connectivity with Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), reducing travel time to about 30 minutes from the current journey of at least two hours. I don’t have wings, so no question of anybody clipping them: Fadnavis, asserts support of BJP leaders:ASSERTING that he has the blessings of Maharashtra’s 14 crore people and senior leaders of the BJP, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said nobody can clip his wings, making light of Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray’s “Operation Devendra” remarks.

 

He also dismissed the political buzz triggered after he and former ally-turned-rival, Uddhav Thackeray, travelled on the same flight from Mumbai to Nagpur on Friday, claiming it was a “coincidence”. Reacting to the intense speculation in state political circles, Fadnavis termed it “vedyancha bazaar” (mad market), noting that it was nothing unusual for two leaders to travel on the same flight. Fadnavis also made light of Thackerey’s “Operation Devendra” remark, saying since he doesn’t have wings, nobody can clip them. He spoke to reporters after visiting Palghar district to review the Vadhavan Port and other infrastructure projects. Addressing a rally on Saturday, Thackeray caused a flutter by saying that “Operation Tiger” was actually “Operation Devendra”, aimed at cutting the Maharashtra Chief Minister down to size to ensure he doesn’t enter the (future) race for the Prime Minister’s post. “For me, political issues are secondary. My entire concentration is on development,” Fadnavis said when asked about Thackeray’s remarks. “I am a human being. I don’t have wings, so who can clip them? I have the blessings of Maharashtra’s 14 crore people and my senior leaders, so there is no need to worry,” he added. “Operation Tiger” is the code name for engineering a split in the Shiv Sena (UBT), culminating in the defection of six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs, who joined the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, last week. Fadnavis said he was surprised by the political buzz after he and former ally-turned-rival, Uddhav Thackeray, travelled on the same flight from Mumbai to Nagpur on Friday. “It was a coincidence. There is nothing unusual about two leaders travelling on the same flight. Sometimes I wonder whether we are in politics or in ‘vedyancha bazar’ (market of mad people),” Fadnavis said. Claiming that there was no interaction of significance on the flight, Fadnavis said, “He (Uddhav) was sitting in one corner, and I was sitting in another. If we had been sitting next to each other, we could have chatted. What’s wrong with that?” Responding to Thackeray’s claim that he appeared “helpless” during the journey, Fadnavis said he spent the time in flight watching a movie or web series downloaded on his mobile phone. “From the time the flight took off until it landed, I was watching it.

 

So where exactly did they see any helplessness on my face?” he asked. Taking a swipe at Thackeray, the senior BJP leader said, “I accept his good wishes. If he had given them in 2019, the picture might have been different. Since he could not do so, I accept those good wishes now.” The CM said 30-40 per cent of the land required for the port has been acquired, reiterating that the government would not resort to forceful acquisition. “We will carry out the project only by taking villagers and members of the fishing community into confidence and ensuring proper rehabilitation,” he said. The Chief Minister said the project was expected to create around 10 lakh jobs and that the Government was upgrading Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), establishing fisheries institutes and launching skill development programmes to ensure local youth benefited from the employment opportunities. He said a modern fishing harbour would be developed to help fishermen expand their business and boost seafood exports. Regulatory clearances were nearly complete and construction activity would now accelerate, with the government aiming to complete the major phase of the project within the next three years, he said. The Vadhvan Port, along with the Virar-Alibaug corridor, the proposed airport near Virar and improved rail and road connectivity, he said, adding that it would transform the Palghar region into a major economic hub as the “fourth Mumbai” while ensuring prosperity of local communities. Fadnavis said commercial and residential development is being planned while protecting biodiversity. Opposition to the project has been propagated by opponents of development, who have spread misinformation among tribal and fisherfolk communities, he said, adding that the government has addressed all concerns through dialogue. An official release later shared more details about the infrastructure projects in the area. It said the CM reviewed the progress of the Naringi Creek Bridge, which will establish direct connectivity between Vasai-Virar and the cities of Saphale, Palghar, and Boisar, reducing travel distance by about 40 kilometres and travel time by 45 minutes.

 

A detailed discussion was also held regarding the Uttan-Virar Sea Link project, it said. This six-lane sea bridge project, with an estimated cost of Rs 58,754.51 crore, will directly connect with the Mumbai-Vadodara National Highway. It will make travel between south Mumbai and Vadodara faster, safer, and more convenient, the release said.