Multi modal corridor plan faces legal hitch in Mumbai

Theland acquisition process for the Virar-Alibaug Multi Modal Corridor has begun with Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) initiating the documentation process with the urban development department.

The plan is to have seven growth centres at Virar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan,Dombivli, Panvel, Taloja and Uran. "The project will be a crucialstep towards development and creating job opportunities at these growth centres. Work has also begun towiden roads in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region at the Bhivpuri-Karjatbelt, which will eventually help in connecting the MultiModal Corridor," informed an official from the development authority.

However, currently, the state is in a fix about which law to adopt to start taking possession of 1,250 hectares of land needed to implement the project. When the project was first conceptualised in 2008, the consensus among state officials was that Land Acquisition Act, 1894 wouldbe followed. But now, they have not been able to decide after Union government's LandAcquisition Act, 2013 cameinto effect on January1 this year.

"We have referred the issue for legal opinion... on which law is applicable for the project," said UPS Madan, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA. The estimated cost for land acquisition has been pegged at Rs1,838 crore. Moreover,the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea for the preparation of a masterplan to develop the eastern parts of Mumbai Metropolitan Region along the Virar-Alibaug MultiModal Corridor. Despite the legal issue that has come to light, MMRDA has already started focussing on the development growth centres, the first of which will be inKalyan.The other growth centres will be taken up at a later stage in thecoming years depending upon the progress of the project. Asper the present plan, the Rs12,975-crore Multi Modal Corridor will not be constructed right from Virar to Alibaug initially;butas part of the first phase, it will be implemented between the 79km route between Virar and Chirner (Rs9,326 crore).

The balance 47km between Chirner to Alibaug (Rs3,649 crore) will be constructed at alater stage.