Nagpur: Airport expansion, Mihan to get facelift and employment generation, budget boosters for city

The expansion of the Nagpur airport, which has been stuck for a long time, and the development of Mihan are now expected to gain momentum. The expansion of the airport has been announced in the state budget on Thursday. Also, a provision of Rs 100 crore has been made for MIHAN and Rs 1,000 crore for a multi-model logistic hub.

A new terminal building for Airport is proposed on Shivangaon Road. Sources said, while a private partner will carry out development, the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) may get some initial infrastructure work done.

Along with the development of roads, beautification and structural works are to be completed on some land in MIHAN. Lighting and toilet arrangements are to be made as well. Some work might take place in connection with the scrap vehicle unit, sources said.

If experts are to be believed development work might be carried out on the Sindi Railway with a provision of Rs 1,000 crore for a multi-modal logistic hub and efforts may be made to integrate it with Mihan.

"Decentralisation of godowns may take place and they could be shifted to one place. Apart from this to organise business parking, repairing and vehicle parking will also be shifted to one place. The proposed plans are expected to generate employment at a large scale," sources said, adding steps could also be taken to connect Sindi Railway with Mihan through the Samruddhi Expressway.

LIT to get deemed varsity status

Laxminarayan Institute of Technology (LIT) Nagpur, which is among the top ten institutes of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU), will finally be granted the status of a deemed university. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced this in his budget on Thursday. LIT is one of the oldest educational institutions in Nagpur. It was established in 1942. It has a glorious history with B.Tech., M.Tech., and PhD courses. It is also a major source of income for the university. A few months ago, the institution was given the status of a recognized university. After that, proposals were also sent from the organization to the concerned departments. The project was stuck due to a lack of funds.

Upgrade funds for RTMNU

Rs 500 crore was announced for 10 universities and institutes in the state. It includes Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) and Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU). The law university will be given funds for building construction. Funds will be available for the educational development of Nagpur University, which is celebrating its centenary this year. A demand for Rs 100 crore was made to the university in the beginning. But there was no announcement from the government yet. Sanctioning the grant in the budget will clear many stalled projects.