
CM Orders Gadchiroli Airport Survey, Pushes For Timely Land Acquisition
Nagpur: Chief minister
Devendra Fadnavis
on Thursday ordered an immediate obstacle limitation surface (OLS) survey for the proposed Gadchiroli airport, directing the district collector to submit a detailed proposal.
The instruction came during a high-level review meeting on land acquisition for major infrastructure projects, held in Mumbai.
Fadnavis further instructed the runway at Akola Airport to be extended to 2,400m apart from envisioning a modern, large-scale terminal for the city. He emphasised the need for comprehensive planning for air connectivity in Kolhapur, Karad, Akola, Gadchiroli, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Stressing the need for strict adherence to timelines, Fadnavis said, "No project should stall due to land acquisition delays. All agencies must work in mission mode with quality and structured coordination." He cautioned that delays lead to steep cost escalations and insisted that each agency follow the pre-defined schedule meticulously.
Fadnavis also reviewed the progress of multiple critical projects, including the Nagpur-Gondia, Nagpur-Chandrapur, and Bhandara-Gadchiroli expressways, directing officials to finalise their alignment using the Gati Shakti portal to ensure minimal forest land diversion.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
2 & 3 BHK Homes Near Padur, OMR Starting @ ₹72.50 Lakh*
TVS Emerald
Undo
For the Wardha-Gadchiroli and Wardha-Nanded railway lines, the CM set a 15-day deadline to complete land acquisition.
Fadnavis further instructed that the Virar-Alibaug corridor's Morbe-Karanja section, which passes through mangrove and forest zones, should begin its approval processes immediately, and that administrative clearances should proceed simultaneously to save time. He also asked the finance department to allocate Rs12,000 crore for land acquisition of the Shaktipeeth Expressway.
Other directives included submission of a proposal to integrate the Wadhwan-Igatpuri expressway under the Sagarmala scheme, and completion of the Selu land acquisition in Parbhani district for the Jalna-Nanded expressway within 15 days.
The CM also called for provision of Rs53,354 crore for land acquisition related to 11 major infrastructure projects across the state.
Top bureaucrats present included Revenue ACS Rajesh Kumar, PWD ACS Manisha Mhaiskar, Forest ACS Milind Mhaiskar, Transport and Ports ACS Sanjay Sethi, Finance ACS OP Gupta, Urban Development ACS Aseemkumar Gupta, and MSRDC MD Anil Gaikwad.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM warns of dissolving assembly; halts budget to resist ‘conspiracy' against Imran Khan; targets Centre
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday issued a stern warning that he may dissolve the provincial assembly if the federal government attempts to destabilise the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led coalition in the province. In a video message, Gandapur asserted that he holds the constitutional power to dissolve the assembly at any time. The warning comes amid increasing political friction between the federal and provincial governments. Gandapur suspended implementation of the recently passed provincial budget and instructed lawmakers not to submit any cut motions during Friday's session. He added that a new strategy would be announced on Monday. 'If we don't pass the budget, the federal government could take control of the province under the pretext of a financial emergency,' Gandapur said, accusing Islamabad of conspiring to topple his government. He also lashed out at the federal authorities for what he described as 'unjust treatment' of the province following the May 9, 2023, incidents. He alleged that the public mandate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was stolen in the aftermath. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AdTab, un delicioso comprimido antiparasitario Adtab Encuéntralo Undo 'Our leader was unjustly jailed, and the way we were treated after May 9, followed by the theft of our mandate, is unacceptable. However, the people of this province stood firm to protect their vote,' he stated. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan , founder of PTI, remains in jail since August 2023. He faces multiple cases, including charges of inciting attacks on military and government buildings following his arrest by paramilitary Rangers from the Islamabad High Court premises. Gandapur also criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor for allegedly violating constitutional responsibilities. 'It is the constitutional duty of the governor to call the budget session, but he failed to do so,' he said. He further added, 'Moreover, our party's founding chairman has a legal and moral right to be consulted on the budget, but he has been denied access.' Gandapur's remarks highlight rising tensions between the provincial and federal leadership, amid concerns of deepening political instability in Pakistan.


Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
English 'empowering' not 'shameful', must be taught to children: Rahul Gandhi
English is "empowering" not "shameful" and must be taught to every child, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday and alleged that the BJP-RSS don't want poor children to learn this language because they don't want them to ask questions and attain equality. Gandhi's comments came a day after Home Minister Amit Shah 's reported remarks on English. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "English is not a dam, it is a bridge. English is not shameful, it is empowering. English is not a chain, it is a tool to break the chains." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hunde Expertin deckt auf: Diese stille Infektion ist Grund für Maulgeruch und Sabbern Gesunde Haustiere Mehr erfahren Undo "The BJP-RSS don't want poor kids of India to learn English - because they don't want you to ask questions, move ahead, and attain equality," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. In today's world, English is as important as one's mother tongue because it will provide employment and boost one's confidence, Gandhi said. Live Events "Every language of India has soul, culture, knowledge. We have to cherish them, and at the same time teach English to every child. This is the path to an India that competes with the world, that gives every child an equal opportunity," the former Congress president said.


Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
The success of a key Nato summit is in doubt after Spain rejects a big hike in defence spending
The success of a key Nato summit is in doubt after Spain rejects a big hike in defence spending (Image: AP) BRUSSELS: The success of a key Nato summit hung in the balance on Friday, after Spain announced that it cannot raise the billions of dollars needed to meet a new defence investment pledge demanded by US President Donald Trump . Trump and his Nato counterparts are meeting for two days in the Netherlands from next Tuesday. He insists that US allies should commit to spending at least 5 percent of gross domestic product, but that requires investment at an unprecedented scale. Trump has cast doubt over whether the US would defend allies that spend too little. Setting the spending goal would be a historic decision. It would see all 32 countries invest the same amount in defence for the first time. Only last week, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte expressed confidence that they would endorse it. But in a letter to Rutte on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote that "committing to a 5percent target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive." "It would move Spain away from optimal spending and it would hinder the (European Union's) ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem," Sanchez wrote in the letter, seen by The Associated Press. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Spain is not entirely alone Belgium, Canada, France and Italy would also struggle to hike security spending by billions of dollars, but Spain is the only country to officially announce its intentions, making it hard to row back from such a public decision. Beyond his economic challenges, Sanchez has other problems. He relies on small parties to govern, and corruption scandals have ensnared his inner circle and family members. He's under growing pressure to call an early election. In response to the letter, Rutte's office said only that "discussions among allies on a new defence investment plan are ongoing." Nato's top civilian official had been due to table a new proposal on Friday to try to break the deadlock. The US and French envoys had also been due to update reporters about the latest developments ahead of the summit but postponed their briefings. Rutte and many European allies are desperate to resolve the problem by Tuesday so that Trump does not derail the summit, as he did during his first term at Nato headquarters in 2018. Budget boosting After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nato allies agreed that 2 percent of GDP should be the minimum they spend on their military budgets. But Nato's new plans for defending its own territory against outside attack require investment of at least 3 percent. Spain agreed to those plans in 2023. The 5 percent goal is made up of two parts. The allies would agree to hike pure defence spending to 3.5 percent of GDP. A further 1.5 percent would go to upgrade roads, bridges, ports and airfields so that armies can better deploy, and to prepare societies for future attacks. Mathematically, 3.5 plus 1.5 equals Trump's 5 percent. But a lot is hiding behind the figures and details of what kinds of things can be included remain cloudy. Countries closest to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine have all agreed to the target, as well as nearby Germany, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, which is hosting the June 24-25 summit. The Netherlands estimates that Nato's defence plans would force it to dedicate at least 3.5 percent to core defence spending. That means finding an additional 16 billion to 19 billion euros ($18 billion to $22 billion). Supplying arms and ammunition to Ukraine, which Spain does, will also be included as core defence spending. Nato estimates that the US spent around 3.2 percent of GDP on defence last year. Dual use, making warfighting possible The additional 1.5 percent spending basket is murkier. Rutte and many members argue that infrastructure used to deploy armies to the front must be included, as well as building up defence industries and preparing citizens for possible attacks. "If a tank is not able to cross a bridge. If our societies are not prepared in case war breaks out for a whole of society approach. If we are not able to really develop the defence industrial base, then the 3.5 percent is great but you cannot really defend yourselves," Rutte said this month. Spain wanted climate change spending included, but that proposal was rejected. Cyber-security and counter-hybrid warfare investment should also make the cut. Yet with all the conjecture about what might be included, it's difficult to see how Rutte arrived at this 1.5 percent figure. The when, the how, and a cunning plan It's not enough to agree to spend more money. Many allies haven't yet hit the 2 percent target, although most will this year, and they had a decade to get there. So an incentive is required. The date of 2032 has been floated as a deadline. That's far shorter than previous Nato targets, but military planners estimate that Russian forces could be capable of launching an attack on an ally within 5-10 years. The US insists that it cannot be an open-ended pledge, and that a decade is too long. Still, Italy says it wants 10 years to hit the 5 percent target. Another issue is how fast spending should be ramped up. "I have a cunning plan for that," Rutte said. He wants the allies to submit annual plans that lay out how much they intend to increase spending by. The reasons for the spending hike For Europe, Russia's war on Ukraine poses an existential threat. A major rise in sabotage, cyberattacks and GPS jamming incidents is blamed on Moscow. European leaders are girding their citizens for the possibility of more. The United States also insists that China poses a threat. But for European people to back a hike in national defence spending, their governments require acknowledgement that the Kremlin remains Nato's biggest security challenge. The billions required for security will be raised by taxes, going into debt, or shuffling money from other budgets. But it won't be easy for many, as Spain has shown. On top of that, Trump has made things economically tougher by launching a global tariff war - ostensibly for US national security reasons - something America's allies find hard to fathom.