DNA

Shirdi (Nasik), Oct 10: Shirdi roads will resemble those in Vatican City. The State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of nearly two dozen roads, measuring 24.74km, around the famous temple in Ahmednagar district.

The project, to be undertaken in three phases, has been chalked out after a study of three international and 10 national religious places. “MSRDC has studied the models of Vatican City, Jerusalem and Mecca. We are about to start the first phase in the next few days. The second phase will be started when plots are made available by the temple trust,” PWD Minister Anil Deshmukh told DNA. He said that MSRDC had opted for the Vatican due to its geographical resemblance with Shirdi.

The first phase will cover 8.49 km road and the funding, of Rs65 crore, has been provided by the Shirdi Temple Trust. The second and third phases, to be implemented on a build-operate-transfer system, will cover 16.25 km and will cost Rs300 crore.
There will be facilities like subways, skywalks, multi-storey parking, and public toilets.

The temple trust feels that it is time to think about amenities as the number of devotees doubles every three years. “Nearly 70,000 devotees visit everyday. The number increases two-fold on auspicious days. Our annual income is Rs140 crore, as against Rs70 crore three years ago.