The on going construction work on the metro railway between Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar received a major jolt, with residents objecting to the administration’s move.
A notice was issued that the acquisition limit was being extended to 120 feetThe on going construction work on the metro railway between Versova-
Andheri-Ghatkopar received a major jolt on Monday, with residents objecting to the administration’s move to extend the acquisition limits from 90 feet to 120 feet.
“We had earlier received letters intimating us about the property acquisition up to 27.45 meters (90 feet). But, today, we were issued a notice to extend the acquisition limit up to 36.60 meters (120 feet),” said Arvind Patil who is one of the 250 metro-affected residents on JP Road.
A delegation of over 30 residents, under the banner of Versova-Andheri Corridor Land & Property Owners’ Association, met the metropolitan engineers today and strongly resented the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) move to change the acquisition alignments at the eleventh hour when the work has already been started by Reliance.
“When the project can be conveniently accommodated with 90 feet widening of the road, and without disturbing many legal structures, then why this deliberate move,” was the question thrown by residents, who were led by Bharat Patil, Arvind Patil, and Rameshchandra Rathod, to the engineers.
The residents claimed that they were not objecting to the project, but they should be given their new homes close to their existing residential area, with hiked floor space index and special concessions in property taxes.
“We are in a state of fear as we will also be losing our rental income due to the shifting of our tenants, which is also the only source of our livelihood,” said Bharat Patil.
Patil also emphasised on the fact that neither the MMRDA, nor the state government had yet offered any proposal in compensation to the land and property owners, whose houses will be demolished and redeveloped. The demands of owners and tenants should also be dealt with separately, he added.
Meanwhile, JC Mangle, joint project director for resettlement and rehabilitation of MMRDA said the administration was checking to find out which of the two road widening options would affect the people living in the vicinity the most.
“The alignment that will disturb the maximum number of citizens is likely to be withdrawn,” Mangle said pointing out that the state government had already given its go-ahead to the authority for trying out the 120 feet road widening plan.
t_chittaranjan@dnaindia.net 
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