Another official said the BMC’s offer of compensation based on ready reckoner rates could help acquire land faster.
Owing to a lack of space to compensate various commercial project affected persons (PAP), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now decided to offer them monetary compensation as per the ready reckoner rates of the area.
Commercial PAPs are those who stand to lose their business establishments on the ground floor due to a development or infrastructure project. They are entitled to an alternative location for their business. The BMC has been struggling to provide this, and hence, land acquisition for various projects and the implementation of the city’s Development Plan is stuck, officials said.
“Land required for many civic projects is encroached upon and acquiring it is a time-consuming affair. The commercial PAPs need to be provided alternative accommodation. While we offer them shops in other markets, they do not accept them for various reasons, such as a distant location or a location off the road,” said an official.
The official said currently, there are 1,574 eligible commercial PAPs under the civic body’s various projects. Of these, 300 are affected by the Goregaon Mulund Link Road Project and about 1,094 by the planned demolition of encroachment within 10 metres of Tansa water pipeline.
“At present, we don’t have much space to accommodate commercial PAPs and the deficiency is likely to increase further,” the official said. Another official said the BMC’s offer of compensation based on ready reckoner rates could help acquire land faster.
“Currently, we face many hurdles in removing encroachments from the land and this delays the project. So, we plan to give compensation based on the ready reckoner rates of the area to commercial PAPs who fall under the categories of constructions before 1962, shops affected due to road widening, and protected slums. The compensation will help them set up their business again. The amount would be attractive and many may opt for it,” the official said.
“The various projects of the development plan department can then be executed without much delay,” he added. Group leaders have given their approval to the proposal earlier this week.
