Despite expectations, the only major sops in the state budget for Mumbaiites is an increased FSI in the suburbs and the announcement that all the corridors of the Mumbai Metro rail project would be up and running in eight years. Also, MHADA colonies will be granted an FSI of 2.5 to ensure larger houses for residents and newer additions in these colonies. The budget has also made a Rs 15-crore provision for a comprehensive restoration programme for the state government heritage buildings in the city. There were no other substantial provisions for the city and the government reiterated the allocations from the Centre for various infrastructure projects. In his budget speech, Finance Minister Jayant Patil said the FSI in the Mumbai suburban district would be increased to 1.33 and brought on par with the FSI permissible in the island city. For the additional 0.33 FSI, premium would be required to be paid on the basis of market value as per the ready reckoner. The monorail system will boost connectivity on three corridors, said Patil. "We are also in the process of introducing a high capacity bus system on major corridors (and) by creating a world class bus and rail system, we believe that the demand for private cars would be curtailed. As a direct measure to discourage use of private cars, we are planning to introduce congestion charge where sufficient public transport capacity is created,' he added. The Unified Metropolitan Authority has been created for co-ordination of various transport systems and to ensure seamless travel and better transport infrastructure planning. "Over the next 18 months, we expect 156 new trains to run on our Central, Western and Harbour lines. This will not only reduce peak time congestion, but will provide huge relief to those living beyond Borivali and Thane,' Patil said. The State will also contribute Rs 1,150 crore towards the Rs 4,500-crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase II, to be completed by 2012. A feasibility study for a high speed train between Mumbai and Nagpur via Marathwada has been proposed, and the consultant selected for the study will also study the viability of a high speed train in the Mumbai region. The Versova- Andheri- Ghatkopar arm of the Metro Railway is expected to be completed by June 2010 and the state said it would expedite the remaining corridors to ensure its completion over the next eight years. Patil also said that with the Urban Land Ceiling Act being abolished, it was possible that land reserved in development plans for residential, commercial or industrial use may not be developed for extended periods, making it difficult to provide affordable housing to low and middle income groups. It is therefore proposed to introduce a bill for imposing tax on vacant lands, which will be levied on persons who obtain permission for development of land but do not carry out development within a stipulated period. The state leads in the Centre's Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) with 51 projects worth about Rs 7,528 crore being sanctioned and Rs 750 crore released as the first installment, said Patil. "Maharashtra has received about one-third of the total grant released for all the states, and thus is ahead of all other states in terms of implementation of the mission,' he added. The Centre has also sanctioned the Rs 1,200-crore Brihanmumbai Storm Water Drainage System, out of which Rs 400 crore has been released this year, and an outlay of Rs 100 crore has also been proposed in 2008-09 for the purpose. BJP Mumbai president and Ghatkopar MLA Prakash Mehta said he was not satisfied with the budget and said it had no special provisions for Mumbai. Nehru Nagar MLA and NCP Mumbai working president Nawab Malik however hailed the budget proposals as having the potential to bring "about the remaking of Mumbai.'