PM seeks Rs. 1.15 lakh crore investment in infrastructure, targets 60 new airports

NEW DELHI: Mumbai’s infrastructure received a major boost on Friday with the Prime Minister asking the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to award two greenfield airports-one in Navi Mumbai and the other in Juhu. The decision came a day after the Union Cabinet cleared the Rs 23,000 crore first underground Metro line for the city that will improve connectivity between Colaba and SEEPZ in Andheri via Bandra.

The PMO also asked key infrastructure ministries to roll out at least Rs 1.15 lakh crore PPP projects in the next six months . Prominent among them is the proposed elevated rail corridor from Churchgate to Virar.

A government release said that the besides the two greenfield airports in Mumbai six others across the country would be bid out during this financial year. One of them will be in Maharashtra , in Pune (Rajguru Nagar , Chakan). Moreover, five lowcost airports will also be awarded this year in the state and these are at Kolhapur, Nasik, Jalgaon, Solapur and Amravati.

These are part of the long list of 50 new low-cost small airports which the government plans to award this year. These airports will come up by upgrading the existing small airports the AAI has in these cities.