The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance, should they come to power in Maharashtra, poses further trouble for Narendra Modi's grand plans of an Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train.
The foundation stone for the bullet train was laid back in 2017 when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Modi in Ahmedabad. In order to aid the project, India is taking a Rs 88,000 crore loan from Japan at an interest rate of 0.1%, as per NDTV.
A report by Mint states that the train covering 508 km between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is targetting a 2023 completion. The report also mentions that the National High-Speed Railway Corp (NHSRCL) overseeing construction for the same has already obtained above 48% of the land required for the project.
The bullet train project will cost Rs 1.08 trillion, out of which Rs 5,000 crore will have to be borne by the Maharashtra government, according to a senior NCP leader's media adress. The alliance has refused to bear this cost if they assume power. They have instead said that they will use those funds for pro-people schemes that specifically target farmer welfare in the state.