Mumbai, June 24 (IANS) The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday, approved to provide a government guarantee for loans worth Rs 2,000 crore to be taken from HUDCO under the Maharashtra Urban Infrastructure Development Loan Scheme and to waive the guarantee fee for the same.

“Under the centrally sponsored Amrut 2.0 Mission and Urban Upliftment Mission, as well as other centrally sponsored and state schemes, the relevant local bodies have to raise funds on their own for the construction of projects that are in progress. For this, the Maharashtra Urban Infrastructure Development Loan Scheme is being implemented in the state. Under the scheme, this loan will be taken from HUDCO of which Rs 822.22 crore for the water supply project of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, Rs 268.84 crore for four sewage projects of Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority and Rs 116.28 crore for the water supply project of Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation, along with the demands of other local bodies,” said the government release.

Accordingly, it was decided to provide a government guarantee for taking a loan of about Rs 2,000 crore in the first phase and waive the guarantee fee for it, said the release.

Further, the Cabinet cleared the allocation of 7,000 sq m of land out of the 1.75 hectare area of the cemetery at Chikhali for the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

“In the wake of increasing urbanisation, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation is setting up a sewage treatment plant at Chikhali to maintain a balanced environment in the city and reduce water pollution. The reuse of treated water is also proposed. For this centre, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has been given permission to use 40 per cent of the 1.75-hectare area reserved for the cemetery in Chikhsli. Accordingly, 7,000 sq. m. area has been made available for the sewage treatment plant, thus paving the way for the project,” said the release.

–IANS

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