Maharashtra Clears Rs 491.5 Crore For Nagpur–Nagbhid Broad Gauge Project To Help Connectivity In Vidarbha

At a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 23 September, the Maharashtra government approved its revised share of funding for the long-pending Nagpur–Nagbhid railway gauge conversion project.

The state will contribute Rs 491.5 crore to Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (MahaRail) to help complete the works.

The 116.15 km narrow-gauge stretch between Nagpur and Nagbhid is being upgraded to broad gauge in order to improve passenger and freight movement across eastern Maharashtra.

The line will eventually link Nagbhid with Vadsa–Desaiganj, Gondia and further to Gadchiroli, offering a critical transport lifeline for people in Nagpur, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts.

The press release stated that the conversion will not only strengthen the railway network in the region but also spur local industry and agriculture by improving market access.

Under an earlier arrangement, the project was estimated at Rs 1,400 crore with 60 per cent debt and 40 per cent equity. The state’s share at that stage stood at 20 per cent.

However, with costs revised upwards to Rs 2,383 crore, Maharashtra’s contribution has risen to 32.37 per cent.

Of the total state commitment of Rs 771.5 crore, Rs 280 crore has already been disbursed. The cabinet has now cleared the balance Rs 491.5 crore.

The government noted that there is a policy of bearing 40 to 50 percent of the cost of selected projects to accelerate railway projects in rural areas of the state, and this initiative falls squarely within that framework.

Nearly 80–85 per cent of the construction has been completed, and the fresh infusion will allow MahaRail to take the project to the finish line.

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