The state government is all set to spend Rs 3,600 crore to build a grand Shivaji memorial along the coast of the city. But what’s really worrisome is that the state government has asked for a loan from HUDCO
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The state government is all set to spend Rs 3,600 crore to build a grand Shivaji memorial along the coast of the city. But what’s really worrisome is that the state government has asked for a loan from Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco) for an urgent project of the repair and reconstruction of dilapidated bridges.
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The need to fix these bridges was highlighted when the British-era bridge on the Savitri river near Mahad on August 2 last year killed 30 people. The state public works department (PWD) then began a survey of bridges that needed urgent repair across the city and came up with a monetary requirement of Rs 1,750 crore. While the state is already reeling under a debt of over 4 lakhs and has an interest burden of Rs 31,027 crore, the estimated spend on salaries alone is Rs 87,147 crore, as per a report by the Times of India.
Also read: HC asks burning question: Where will state get the funds for Shivaji statue?
With these statistics in mind, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has said that the government should first look at spending on bridges and then on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue.
The MNS general secretary Sandeep Deshpande said, "We are not against the Shivaji Maharaj statue as he is the inspiration for all Marathi people but, to preserve his memory, forts built by him should be maintained well and conserved by the government instead of spending on building the tallest statue of his." He added that if the state needs to seek a loan for a paltry sum like Rs 1,600 crore, it would seem that they are not in a strong financial situation.
In response the PWD minister Chandrakant Patil said that the state was doing well, adding that, "Even after the (farmer) loan waiver scheme, the state is in a good position to handle the situation." A PWD structural audit showed that 271 bridges were in the most dilapidated category and will require an overhaul of Rs 570 crores. Apart from that, another 896 bridges need major repairs immediately, and 2,127 require minor repairs.
In light of the inadequate funds that the PWD department has, they have sought to borrow from Hudco and as per a senior official, even if the loan is sanctioned repayment would be very difficult with a repayment interest of 10.4%. Trying to be of aid is the state department that has promised the PWD that they will provide funds in a phase-wise manner once it starts getting its share of GST on a regular basis – which is likely to happen in four to five months.
Also read: PIL in HC seeks scrapping of Rs 3,600 crore Shivaji memorial project
Even though the budget of the PWD has been increased from Rs 2,700 crores to Rs 7,000 crores, officials remain skeptical about their spending even after the increase. The state has decided to streamline the spending of the department after it announced the farmer’s loan waiver scheme.
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