BMC U-turn over Metro-3

As many had feared, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in an expected U-turn, has decided to allot its 17 plots, which were earlier proposed to be given on temporarily, for the Metro-III project on permanent basis. This means the city would lose several open spaces and gardens for the construction of Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro-III route.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), which is implementing the project, has demanded 17 plots from the civic body for building the 33.5-km long line. The BMC had earlier proposed to allot all these plots on an 11-month lease for a period of five years and at a price of '1 on a temporary basis.

However, civic activists had expressed apprehensions about its practicality saying that they would lose these plots permanently. The proposal was turned down by the civic improvements committee in March, as corporators demanded the plots should be given on market rate, not on nominal rates.

Against this backdrop, the civic body has now proposed to allot these 17 plots to MMRCL for a 30-year period on the basis of market rate. According to prevalent ready reckoner rates, the BMC will collect '287.52 crore from the MMRCL for this period. After the 30-year period expires, rent will be charged as per the prevalent market rates whiling renewing the lease.

The BMC’s proposal includes giving several prominent open spaces, gardens, parking lots, a fire brigade centre land and an arm depot for the construction of Metro-III route. They will be used for construction of metro stations, inward-outward rooms, ventilation shafts, godowns-depots and TBM launching purposes.

The places include Colaba Woods Garden, Cuffe Parade; Bhatia Baug, CST; Nariman Point fire brigade centre, Vidhan Bhavan; Rotary Udyan, Churchgate; Parking lot opposite Eros Cinema, Churchgate; Hutatma Chowk Udyan; Parking lot at Hutatma Chowk; BMC education department office, Grant Road; area near Sane Guruji and Nair Road Chowk, Mahalaxmi Metro; Behind Siddhivinayak Mandir; Science Centre, at Senapati Bapat Marg and Dr E Moses Road Chowk, Worli; Acharya Atre Chowk, BMC engineering hub, Worli, Marol Naka, Marol Village Road and Marol Naka, Marol Fire Brigade.

While the BMC has agreed to provide 14 plots, there are some obstacles about the other three plots. “To provide the land at Nair Dental Hospital, its reservation needs to be changed. The plot near Sasmira Institute, Worli, has been given by the civic market department to a private party for redevelopment. The Marol fire brigade plot has firemen’s colony on it and the case is pending in the high court,” said a civic official.