On Wednesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the Legislative Assembly in Mumbai, responding to a debate on the development of the city and its satellite areas. He launched a strong counterattack against the Opposition’s allegations of corruption and structural failure following a recent landslide on the Mumbai-Pune ‘Missing Link’ expressway. The landslide, triggered by torrential rains, had halted traffic for approximately 18 hours, prompting the Opposition to target the Mahayuti government. CM Fadnavis declared himself ‘abuse-proof’ and defended the project as a global engineering marvel, accusing opposition leaders of fabricating claims. He revealed that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government had nearly killed the project, but the Mahayuti government had the courage to complete it. CM Fadnavis explained that the heavy downpour caused mountain debris to fall onto an outer arch, which broke under the impact, but the main structure remained intact. He also highlighted the project’s features, including the tallest cable-stayed bridge in India and the widest twin tunnels in the world. Addressing online criticism, CM Fadnavis stated that he is used to abuse, but will not tolerate defamation of Maharashtra. He invoked the legacy of the Konkan Railway and socialist leader Madhu Dandavate, citing the project’s long-term benefits and the government’s ability to engineer solutions to infrastructure risks.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Mangalorean News