Top Maharashtra politicians, including Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi and Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, on Thursday called on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and sought Rs 6,000 crore assistance for an ambitious infrastructure development project in capital Mumbai.

Mumbai road project blueprint drawn

An all-party delegation told Vajpayee that the state is willing to spend Rs 12,000 crore on the Rs 18,000 crore project aimed at turning Mumbai into a truly international city.

The project includes a metro rail, a freeway, east-west link roads and water transport for Mumbai.

"The prime minister took keen interest and assured to look into the problems of slum dwellers and traffic," Joshi told reporters after the meeting.

The delegation invited Vajpayee to visit Mumbai on Dussehra to lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Dharavi, Asia's biggest slum.

"We want to go above party lines to tackle the issue," Joshi said.

Shinde said 55 per cent of Mumbai's population, around 60 lakh people, live in slums. To rehabilitate them, the state requires relaxation in Coastal Regulatory Zone norms.