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Twists and turns

One of the big infra projects facing the Maharashtra government is the extension of the Bandra-Worli sea link

Soumik Kar

After ending Congress’s 15-year reign in the state, the BJP has a lot on its plate to prove. And with several pending infrastructure projects featuring right at the top of its poll promise list, the heat is on for the party to announce the launch of a few key projects. Its CM Devendra Fadnavis would do well to first take a decision on the fate of the Bandra-Worli sea link’s mythical 11-km extension — a ₹5,000-crore project to extend the bridge towards Versova on one side and Haji Ali on the other had in 2010 been awarded to, and subsequently aborted by, Reliance Infrastructure. Several administrative, decision-making and environmental issues had led the then CM Prithviraj Chavan to suggest a coastal road alternative to the project. With ally-turned-foe Shiv Sena backing the coastal road plan, it’s time for the BJP and its CM to act fast.