Land dispute delays MUTP-II project

Maharashtra government and the Indian Railways are locked in an ownership dispute over a 20,000 sq m land in Bandra, Mumbai.

The commercial exploitation of the land is necessary for the Rs 5,300-crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project-II (MUTP-II) project, which was sanctioned in 2008.

The project was approved under the arrangement that nearly half the outlay, Rs 2,333 crore, will be generated from commercial exploitation of a Bandra plot admeasuring 45,000 sq m. Another Rs 1,056 crore was to be given by the railways and the state government in 50:50 ratio.

But when the Rail Land Development Authority began the process for commercial exploitation of the Bandra land in September 2008, the railways' ownership was disputed.

The Mumbai suburban collector stayed the process and ruled that 20,000 sq m of the land belonged to the state government.

The dispute has delayed the implementation of the project, which involves procurement of 72 new rakes Extension of Harbour Line up to Goregaon, augmentation of fifth and sixth lines between Thane and Diva AC-DC conversion of Central Railway.

Consequently, the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has threatened to halt upgradation of the suburban rail network under the project next year owing to a lack of funds caused by the state revenue minister's slowness in resolving a land dispute.