Mumbai, Aug 18 (IANS): Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora on Saturday said that the Central government has taken a historic decision to announce a Rs 15,000-crore Metro rail projects for Thane and Pune while targeting the Opposition for repeatedly questioning what the Centre has given to Maharashtra.

"In the last four months, Maharashtra has received an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore from the Centre through various projects including the expansion of the port. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned the Rs 15,000 crore metro projects for Pune and Thane. I am thankful to the Prime Minister for supporting Maharashtra. The expansion of metro projects will be a game changer for the cities of Mumbai and Pune. We are proud that Maharashtra has the largest metro network in the world," said Deora.

He further added that the Metro projects will have a huge impact in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and also across the state.

Deora said that the metro projects will create jobs and provide relief for the commuters who use public transport in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Without naming Shiv Sena-UBT, Deora said: "Some people were opposed to the Metro when they were in power, but the Central and state governments are trying to alleviate the pain of the residents of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. A state-of-the-art transport system is being developed in the city with the help of the central government. In all, 14 metro lines will come into existence in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region area in the coming years."

He reiterated that the commissioning of these metro rail lines will make the daily journey of citizens more comfortable.

The Cabinet on Friday approved the Swargate to Katraj Underground Line Extension of the existing PCMC-Swargate Metro Line of Pune Metro Phase-I project.

This new extension is known as the Line-1 B extension and will span 5.46 km and include three underground stations, connecting key areas such as Market Yard, Bibwewadi, Balaji Nagar, and the Katraj suburbs.

The project, aimed at providing seamless connectivity in Pune, is set to be completed by February 2029.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,954.53 crore, with funding to be equally shared by the Centre and the Maharashtra government, along with contributions from bilateral agencies.

Further, the Cabinet had also cleared the Rs 12,200.10 crore Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail Project corridor.

The 29-km corridor will run along the periphery of the west side of Thane city with 22 stations. The network is encompassed by the Ulhas river on one side and Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) on the other.

This connectivity would provide a sustainable and efficient mode of transport, facilitating the city to realise its economic potential and ease traffic congestion on the roads.

The project is also expected to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.