MUMBAI - Maharashtra continues to remain the most favoured investment destination in the country, Governor S.C. Jamir said here Monday.

Speaking at the state government’s main function mark the 60th Republic Day at Shivaji Park, the governor said so far 131 special economic zones (SEZs) have been approved and 116 mega projects with an investment of Rs.1,141.5 billion (Rs.114,153 crore/$23.5 billion) are in the pipeline.

As many as 71 projects worth Rs.97.73 billion have been approved by the centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for developing urban infrastructure rapidly.

Efforts are underway on all fronts to transform Mumbai into a world-class city. ‘The Bandra-Worli Sea Link is almost ready and will be completed by May 2009, work on the Mumbai Metro Railway and Monorail are in progress,’ Jamir noted.

‘Other major projects to strengthen and modernise civic and transport infrastructure worth Rs.35,000 crore (Rs.350 billion) are currently underway. All these, coupled with a conducive environment and top-class infrastructure, have contributed to the state’s success,’ he added.

Paying homage to those killed during the Mumbai terror attacks of Nov 26-28, 2008, the governor said both centre and state governments had taken up the issues of national security on ‘top priority’.

‘The State Security Council has been set up and is functional. An elite Force One, on the lines of the National Security Guards (NSG), will be operational soon. The state has decided to strengthen, augment and modernise the police force with special emphasis on the Intelligence Department and coastal security,’ Jamir said.

Dwelling on the critical issue of power supply, the governor said the state was on the path of wiping out power deficits and achieving self-sufficiency. In the past three years, the state has installed 2000 MW new generation capacity and with a time-bound policy, by 2012, Maharashtra would be a surplus state, he said.

The governor also highlighted the state’s other major achievements like a plan to construction one million homes for the poor and middle classes of which 400,000 will be ready by March 2009, and special schemes for farmers, minorities, women and children and backward sections of society.