Complexes along Expressway

Soon you could see residential high rises and commercial complexes coming up along the 95-km-long Mumbai-Pune Expressway. This will be made possible with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) all set to prepare a separate development control regulations (DCR) and a draft Development Plan (DP) for the Expressway.

“The decision to prepare a draft DP was taken in the MSRDC board meeting conducted on May 11, 2016. Subsequently, we floated bids on Saturday. The appointed consultant will have to prepare a draft development plan and make suggestions to the MSRDC. After going through the draft prepared by the consultant we will approve the same,” said Kiran Kurundkar, joint managing director, MSRDC.

According to MSRDC officials, the body has also received 10 proposals from private developers to construct residential and industrial complexes along the Expressway for which it also plans to acquire land via land pooling and Transfer of Development Rights (TDR). The MSRDC as the special planning authority (SPA) for the area is entrusted with all responsibilities and powers of a planning agency on the same lines as other bodies such as Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and City Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) for Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA).

Explaining further Mr Kurundkar said, “Once we approve the draft DP prepared by the consultant, we will publicise the draft for public suggestions and objections after which it will be sent to the state government for approval of the same.

The state government had appointed MSRDC as special planning authority (SPA) for the area. In a notification issued in February, the state urban development department declared 84 villages on the Expressway under MSRDC’s jurisdiction and directed it to form its own development control regulation (DCR).

Earlier, the state government had appointed the MSRDC to be SPA for 84 villages. However, 11 were dropped after they were found to be part of NAINA, the upcoming smart city on 562-hectares land around the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport. The idea behind proposing MSRDC as the SPA for Expressway was because in a study carried out by a state government committee, it was found that a proper development pattern was needed.

Sensing golden opportunity in the state government’s plan to develop a smart city corridor along the 95-km-long Mumbai-Pune Expressway, villagers and farmers along the stretch are now demanding a price of Rs 1 crore per acre (43,560 square feet or 4,050 square metres) of land, up from the existing rate of Rs 50 to 60 lakh per acre, according to local real estate brokers from the area.