Prime Highlight
- The Maharashtra cabinet approved a Rs 6,000 crore loan to accelerate land acquisition for the proposed Purandar airport in Pune district and cleared the formation of a Special Purpose Vehicle for the project.
- It also sanctioned a Rs 15,000 crore loan from NABARD to fund irrigation projects and improve canal systems, aiming to expand irrigation coverage across the state.
Key Facts
- The government said 96% of farmers in the Purandar airport project area have agreed to give their land, with funds to be raised through loans from financial institutions.
- Of the Rs 15,000 crore irrigation package, Rs 8,982.76 crore will support 57 ongoing projects, while Rs 6,017.24 crore will upgrade canals linked to 193 projects.
Background
The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved a Rs 6,000 crore loan to speed up land acquisition for the proposed Purandar airport in Pune district. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired the meeting where the decision was taken.
The government said 96 per cent of farmers in the project area have already agreed to give their land for the airport. As a large-scale acquisition is now required, the state will raise funds through loans from financial institutions. The cabinet also approved the formation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the project. The SPV will include agencies such as MIDC, MADC, CIDCO and others to ensure smooth execution.
In another major decision, the cabinet cleared a Rs 15,000 crore loan from NABARD for irrigation projects and improvements to canal and water distribution systems across Maharashtra. The projects aim to bring around 8 lakh hectares of land under irrigation. Of the total amount, Rs 8,982.76 crore will fund 57 ongoing irrigation projects, while Rs 6,017.24 crore will improve canals linked to 193 projects.
The cabinet also approved a new land acquisition and allotment policy for the proposed ‘Third Mumbai’ project near the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, or Atal Setu. Around 200 square kilometres of land have been handed over to MMRDA for planned development in the region. The policy seeks to reduce congestion in Mumbai and promote balanced growth.
Other approvals included land allocation for a cricket stadium in Kolhapur, a village health campaign, and the Maharashtra government’s PPP Policy 2026.
