In the wake of COVID-19 outbreak and its economic repercussions, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has stressed on the need for decentralisation of new industries in the state.
At a review meeting of the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Corridor on Tuesday evening, Thackeray said separate zones of industries should be created along the corridor and all facilities required by units should be provided there, reports PTI.
The Samruddhi Corridor is a 701-km-long expressway being constructed to cut short the travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur.
Thackeray said during the coronavirus crisis, it has come to notice that population density is more in industrial belts and lockdown had to be enforced in those areas.
Hence, during the construction of the Samruddhi Corridor,separate zones of industries should be be created along the expressway and facilities needed by the industries should be provided there.
Thackeray also directed officials to set up trauma care centres at different places along the expressway. The corridor project, which links 24 districts of the state, should be completed at the earliest, he said.
Planning of industrial, agriculture and tourism units in districts through which the expressway passes should be done after analysing the geographical situation, he said. State Public Undertakings Minister Eknath Shinde said 8,311.15 hectare land has been acquired for the expressway project.
With 90,787 number of infections Maharashtra has reported maximum number of COVID-19 cases in the country. The death toll due to the virus has reached 3,289.
The state had also faced a catastrophic cyclone last month which affected southern Raigad and adjoining areas in Ratnagiri district. The state government has announced an immediate assistance of Rs 100 crore to the district. The government has also released an immediate assistance of Rs 25 crore for restoration activities in Ratnagiri district.