Maharashtra: 11-member panel to review Niti Aayog’s MMR development process

The Maharashtra government has formed an 11-member committee headed by the Chief Secretary to review the implementation process of Niti Aayog’s plan to develop Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) as a growth hub.

A month ago, the presentation in this regard from Niti Aayog before the Chief Minister had raised controversy in the state with the Opposition – especially Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former CM Uddhav Thackeray terming it as a ploy to separate Mumbai from the rest of the state.

According to the presentation, the present GDP of MMR is $140 billion, which is bigger than that of Portugal, Columbia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Israel and Chile.

A delegation led by NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam made a presentation before the state government about the preparation of a master plan for Mumbai’s financial development, with the aim to increase the GDP of Mumbai Metropolitan region to $300 billion.

It further noted that the population of Mumbai Metropolitan region has been growing by around 5 to 5.5 per cent for the past five years, and is expected to be around 2.70 crore by 2030. It needs an investment of around $150 billion to increase GDP.

Moreover, the focus will be on employment, infrastructure as well as adequate use of land and financial policy for economic development. It also pointed out that MMRDA’s role in supply of finances, setting up of infrastructure such as power, roads will also be vital.

A special G-Hub crack unit will be set up under the chairmanship of the member secretary which will include at least one official from the above-mentioned departments. The member secretary will also play a coordination officer for the project to communicate with Niti Aayog.

Maharashtra’s contribution to the country’s GDP is the highest at around 13 per cent. The presentation added that inclusive economic development of MMR matters more than focus on improving infrastructure.

Niti Aayog will present a plan over next four months for which a dedicated team needs to be prepared by the state government by appointing a nodal officer, it said, adding that other cities, too, are being developed along with Mumbai.