MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): Bombay High Court gave the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project a go-ahead, dismissing a plea brought by Godrej & Boyce company concerning the land acquisition by the Maharashtra government and the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) in Mumbai’s Vikhroli area.
The court said the project was of “national importance and in the public interest”. However, a division bench of Justice RD Dhanuka and Justice MM Sathaye concluded that collective interest was more important than private interests and thus refused to stay with the project.
The Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited brought a petition to question a September 15, 2022, order from the Maharashtra government that gave them a compensation amount for their land acquisition for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project.
Out of the total 508.17 km of the rail track, 21 km is planned to be underground, with an entry point at the Vikhroli area. The division bench affirmed that the compensation and proceedings started by the government authorities were legal.
The Maharashtra government deposited Rs 264 crore as compensation for the land owned by Godrej for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project in October 2022.
Despite this, the state government and the NHSRCL had repeatedly accused the company of delaying the entire project. In response, the company authorities argued that the land acquisition was “unlawful” and included “multiple and patent illegalities”.
