Port land cleared for MTHL project

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has succeeded in resolving the complex land acquisition issue for Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) land

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has succeeded in resolving the complex land acquisition issue for Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) land to be used to construct the long-pending Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL).

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The project is set to take off in a few months’ time.

The MMRDA and MbPT have reached a consensus over the rent to be paid by the former for using the port trust’s land to construct ramps for MTHL on the Mumbai side.

Sanjay Khandare, the additional commissioner of MMRDA, said that the total rent of Rs1,000 crore would be paid in installments for the next 30 years.

Earlier, the MbPT had sought around Rs1,200 crore as lease rental charges for 9.9 hectares of MbPT land on a permanent basis and 15.83 hectares of land on a temporary basis for seven years.

Now, after two year-long deliberations, MMRDA agreed to pay the Rs1,000-crore rent in instalments.

“We are going to pay Rs135 crore in the first instalment and remaining amount will be paid in 30 annual instalments,” Khandare said.

About five years ago, the MbPT had charged rental for the airspace that was to be used by MTHL. The port trust had defended its action saying that the rent was fixed in accordance with the prescribed rules and was approved by its board of directors.

With no breakthrough in sight, the state government started to negotiate with the ministry of shipping, under which the port trust operates.

The state government informed the ministry that a significant portion of the land to be acquired by MMRDA comes under No Development Zone (NDZ) and MMRDA would spend its fund to rehabilitate slum-dwellers on the port trust land.

The pleading had had positive impact. MbPT came up with new lease rental, which comes approximately Rs700 crore. In addition, it offered two options, a one time upfront payment or annual charges for 30 years. The link will connect Sewri in Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai.