Mumbai Metro|Maha CM instructs speedy transfer of land for Metro Rail projects

Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has asked government officials to ensure speedy transfer of land for the upcoming metro projects in the state, so they are not delayed because of acquisition issues.

The state has issued a government resolution for advance transfer of land for metro projects to the implementing agencies, enabling them to acquire land before the actual constriction actives begin.

The construction of the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz metro project – Metro 3 – is expected to begin soon, for which the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) needs 75 hectares. In a review meeting on Friday, Fadnavis asked the revenue and urban development department secretaries to facilitate acquisition of this land, under the possession of seven to eight government departments and some private owners.

The Reliance Infra-led Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL) has claimed increase in cost of the Metro 1, from the original Rs 2,356 crore to over Rs 4,000 crore, mostly because of delays in land acquisition.

In the same meeting, MMRC asked the state government to hand over a parcel of land in Kanjurmarg, which an expert committee had recommended as a suitable spot for the construction of a metro car depot.

The location earlier decided for the depot was at Aarey Colony, Goregaon, which had led to strong protests by environmental activists and residents.

When contacted, Fadnavis said no decision had been taken yet on the metro depot issue.

Meanwhile, the state has already issued a government resolution for transfer of land to the MMRC. Of the 75 hectares, the corporation needs 13 hectares permanently, while 62 hectares will be used temporarily for activities before tunnel boring and station construction.

The MMRC has received possession of about 30 hectares of land, including a part of Oval Maidan from the sports department. Officials from the corporation said they are expecting to get the entire 75 hectares by October this year.