Page 56 - March_2022.indb

TICKER TAPE
INFRASTRUCTURE The Indian Railways have proposed bullet train services between
NAGPUR TO MUMBAI VIA BULLET TRAIN IN JUST 3.5
HOURS

Nagpur and Mumbai, which will cover the approximately 766km
distance in just three and a half hours, along the soon-to-be-ready
Samruddhi Expressway.
The train is expected to travel at the highest speed of 350km per
hour. Currently, it takes a minimum of 12 hours to travel the same
distance.
“We have proposed this superfast train along the Samruddhi
Highway project. We have the advantage of already having 70%
land in our possession. We just need to acquire 30% land from
private parties,” said Danve.
From Nagpur up to Igatpuri, land will not have to be acquired as
the train would run adjacent to Samruddhi Highway. From Igatpuri
till Mumbai, land will have to be acquired.
Farmers would not have to give up land as the entire corridor
would be on an elevated track. The train would need a straight
corridor. Beyond Igatpuri, there is a curve from where the train’s
path would have to be changed. The DPR report would mention
the number of stations on the train’s route.
The high-speed corridor project was among the seven proposed
by the Centre. Work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor has
already started and land acquisition almost completed on the
Gujarat side.
The DPR of the Varanasi-Delhi corridor is ready. Officials said the
Nagpur-Mumbai corridor DPR would be prepared through a series
of surveys that include LiDar (Light Detection and Ranging) and
aerial along with social and environmental impact assessment (SIA
and EIA). A LiDar ground survey has already been completed. The
project is expected to pass at least through 10 districts, but it was
not clear on how many stoppages it would have.
The project would involve a huge expenditure. The 508km more amount than the first project, which was mired in the land
Mumbai-Ahmedabad project cost is over Rs 1. 1 lakh crore, which acquisition process, particularly from the Maharashtra side. The
is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). high-speed rail network is likely to move from Wardha, Jalna, Shirdi,
The Nagpur-Mumbai distance is 766 km and would require Nashik, Shahapur before reaching Mumbai.

BUDGET’S INFRASTRUCTURE PUSH – WHAT THE NUMBERS point on the growth and development model itself? What
SAY development model is best suited for India in these times? Is a
If there is one element that stands out about the just announced return to a commanding heights of the economy model of the
Union budget it is the focus on capital expenditure and especially 1950s wherein the government remains that huge and mega
spending on highways and roads. Dr C Rangarajan, economist project spender and riding change banking on the traditional
and former governor of the Reserve Bank of India, called it a major model of Keynesian multiplier triggered growth in the economy?
takeaway from the budget and one that indicated a directional Is this still relevant in times when the scale and size of private
shift in the expenditure mix of the government. Given that revenue enterprise has changed significantly and the ability landscape
expenditures (that do not create assets) typically form a major part on investments changed. After all, today there are behemoths
of the government expenditures, the focus this time instead on within the private sector that can also invest huge sums without the
higher capital expenditure, meant to create revenue-generating government support. Therefore, should the government not focus
assets, is being considered significant and a noteworthy change. instead on areas where markets fail and channelise its resources
For the first time capital expenditure accounts for a high 45 per into areas that can help raise incomes and thereby consumer
cent of the fiscal deficit. While the expenditure profile details in the demand? Vinayak Chatterjee, an infrastructure expert & chairman,
budget documents do talk of spending into areas such as roads, National Council on infrastructure of the Confederation of Indian
railways and other areas of infrastructure, the key question is will Industry (CII) discusses these and more. He also looks closely at the
it all truly end up in asset creation that can generate significant enablers that the budget is banking on to attract the private sector
revenue or will we end up spending on prestigious projects that back into the infrastructure story. Also, he discusses what it will
may not necessarily be growth enhancing? Economists and other take to see such a resurgence that could lead to an accelerated
experts in finance are also raising a much more fundamental growth.

56 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|MARCH 2022