Mumbai, Aug 2026 : The Central government has responded positively to several long-pending issues concerning redevelopment projects in Mumbai, infrastructure, railway land and properties under the control of the Union government, Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairman Sachin Ahir said.
Ahir, accompanied by a delegation led by Lok Sabha MP Dr Shrikant Shinde, met several Union ministers in New Delhi and held detailed discussions on stalled redevelopment projects on Central government land, pending projects on Mumbai Port Trust land, issues involving the Central Public Works Department, railway properties, salt pan land and various infrastructure-related matters.
The Delhi visit was Ahir's first after being elected Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. He shared details of the meetings during a press conference held at the Legislative Bhavan media room.
Ahir, along with Dr Shrikant Shinde and other Members of Parliament, also paid a courtesy visit to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The delegation subsequently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Textiles Minister Girish Singh, Ports and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav to discuss various issues concerning Mumbai and Maharashtra.
During the meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, Ahir highlighted the difficulties being faced in redevelopment projects because different rules apply to land belonging to the state and Central governments. He demanded that a uniform redevelopment policy be formulated for the entire city.
He pointed out that the redevelopment of thousands of slums and dilapidated cess buildings in areas such as Colaba and Ballard Pier has been stalled due to the lack of necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs). It was decided that a separate high-level meeting would be held soon to find a solution to the issue.
During discussions with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, issues concerning facilities at Sawantwadi Road railway station and the upgradation of Mahalaxmi and Prabhadevi stations on Mumbai's suburban railway network were raised. According to Ahir, the Railway Minister assured the delegation that an important meeting on these matters would be held soon.
Ahir also held a nearly 30-minute discussion with Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on production-related issues in textile mills and pending wages of workers. The meeting also discussed the possibility of transferring the land of closed mills under the control of the National Textile Corporation (NTC) to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) for workers' rehabilitation, as well as the rehabilitation of residents of old chawls.
The Textiles Minister, Ahir said, assured the delegation that the matter would be placed before the Union Cabinet for consideration.
On the issue of salt pan lands, Ahir stressed the need to take environmental experts and local residents into confidence before taking any decision regarding their development. He demanded that if such land is transferred to the state government, affordable housing should be developed there for project-affected people, homeless citizens, mill workers and economically disadvantaged sections.
During his Delhi visit, Ahir also participated in a health-related programme organised at the initiative of Minister of State for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav. He suggested that greater efforts should be made to publicise various schemes of the Ayush Ministry so that their benefits reach citizens at the grassroots level.
The delegation also felicitated meritorious students who had successfully cleared the UPSC and MPSC examinations, congratulating them on their achievements. The programme was held under the leadership of Dr Shrikant Shinde.
The delegation included Deputy Chairman Sachin Ahir, Dr Shrikant Shinde, MPs Naresh Mhaske, Sanjay Patil, Omraje Nimbalkar and Shrirang Barne, among other public representatives.
The discussions in New Delhi are expected to pave the way for further coordination between the Centre and Maharashtra on several long-pending urban redevelopment, housing, railway and infrastructure issues affecting Mumbai and its residents.
Team Maverick
