Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said on Thursday that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had been asked to conduct a scientific and technical study for tunnel and elevated road construction. He also noted that Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had announced plans for an elevated rail corridor from Churchgate to Virar in this year’s Railway budget.

The Democratic Front government had also promised in its manifesto a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the Arabian Sea, but issues regarding the Coastal Regulation Zone rules and the presence of the Naval base leading to security issues stalled that plan.

A new place for the statue has now been shortlisted, said Deshmukh, opposite Nariman Point.

He said a meeting would be held soon to iron out issues like telephone lines passing through the area. Work on the memorial would start soon along the ‘Queens Necklace’, he assured.

On the state’s $ 60-billion plan for the 4,500-sq km Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the chief minister said attempts are on to obtain funding from international agencies like the World Bank.

Deshmukh added that the Centre had granted maximum aid to Mumbai and a grant of Rs 1,200 crore is also being given to the Brihanmumbai Storm Water Drains (BRIMSTOWAD) project.

Lalu Prasad Yadav had granted approval to the Rs 5,000-crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project II (MUTP II), which would help reduce congestion and improve ventilation in local trains. Half the cost will be borne by the state government, Deshmukh said.

Also, the changes in the Development Control regulations for enabling the cluster redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings is at the final stage, he added.