The meeting, held at Mantralaya and chaired by the Chief Minister, was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and senior officials, including the Chief Secretary. The committee approved Metro Line–8, which will link Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Andheri (East) with Navi Mumbai International Airport. Officials said the 35 km corridor will comprise 9.25 km of underground sections and 24.64 km of elevated stretches, with a total of 20 stations, including six underground and 14 elevated.
The metro project will require the acquisition of 30.7 hectares of land at an estimated cost of Rs 3.88 billion. The total estimated project cost stands at Rs 228.62 billion. The Chief Minister instructed that land acquisition be completed within six months and all statutory approvals secured before execution. While the formal completion timeline is five years, the government aims to finish the project within three and a half years.
Fadnavis said Metro Line–8 will also connect Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at Kurla, link two major railway junctions and integrate with three other metro corridors. The project will be implemented under the public–private partnership model, with equity participation of 20 per cent each from the Centre and the State, while the remaining 60 per cent will be arranged by the private partner.
The Cabinet Committee also approved the 66.15 km Nashik City Ring Road project, estimated to cost Rs 39.54 billion, keeping in view the upcoming Kumbh Mela. As a special provision, work orders have been issued after completion of 50 per cent of land acquisition.
In addition, the committee cleared the revised 85.76 km Navegaon More–Konsari–Mulchera–Hedri–Surjagad four-lane cement concrete highway project in Gadchiroli district to facilitate mineral transport. The highway will include provisions on both sides for future gas pipelines, as gas connectivity up to Surjagad is planned.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to expedite work on the Nagpur–Gondia and Bhandara–Gadchiroli sections under the Samruddhi Expressway extension, stressing that projects would not be allowed to stall. He further announced the introduction of an ‘auto mode’ mechanism to incentivise contractors who complete projects on time and penalise delays beyond stipulated timelines.
