Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has told builders to pass on benefits given by his government, including a cap on sand costs, to home buyers to give them relief and to boost the market. He was speaking after inaugurating the MCHI-CREDAI property exhibition in Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district on Friday night. Registration and stamp duty has been kept unchanged, while the price of a brass of sand, one of the important and not-readily available material for construction, has been capped at Rs 600 per brass (a brass is around 4,600 kilograms), the chief minister said. "Builders must pass on these benefits to home buyers and make dwellings affordable. The state government is implementing several schemes and has also presented an all-round budget to give impetus to development and investment," he said.

Six companies with which MoUs were signed during his visit to Davos (during the World Economic Forum) have started work of setting up their establishments in Maharashtra after land was allotted to them, the CM said. "Foreign investors are eager to invest in the state as it has potential and infrastructure, connectivity, skilled manpower as well as land availability. Maharashtra is now number one when it comes to infra projects," he added.

The Detailed Project Report for phase 2 of the Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro Line 5 to Taloja via Dombivali is underway, he said. Work on the the Padgha stretch of the Samruddhi Expressway and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link was also in advanced stages, the CM informed. The Dombivli-Mahapoli link road is ready for inauguration, Shinde said.