The Shinde-Fadnavis government has given all the necessary clearances to put on fast track the development of Rs 1.1 lakh crore Mumbai Ahmedabad Bullet Train project. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after the state cabinet meeting held on Thursday said, ‘’ The Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday has given all clearance for the Mumbai Ahmedabad Bullet Train project.’’
The Free Press Journal broke on July 8 that the new government soon take a decision on handing over the 4.2 hectares in Bandra Kurla Complex for the construction of a terminal for the bullet train project. At present the COVID 19 care facility is housed on the same land and the government has given instructions to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Authority and BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation to clear the said land to vacate it soon. Besides, an alternate land will be provided to the petrol pump situated at the plot earmarked for the construction of a terminal for the bullet train.
The cabinet’s decision is crucial as the Shiv Sena led Maha Vikas Aghadi did not hand over the plot to the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL).
A state urban development department officer said that during the previous government there was negligible movement although the land acquisition for the bullet train in other parts of Maharashtra was undertaken. ‘’The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL)had to cancel the tender issued in November 2019 for the construction of an underground terminus for the bullet train project in BKC as the state government did not hand over the land. The state government had given its approval for handing over the land in February 2018 but it was not done despite reminders from the NHSRCL. However, the new government is quite keen to hand over the land and thereby give a much needed push for the completion of the bullet train project,’’ he said.
The BKC is the starting point of this 508-km long high-speed rail line and the tunnels till Shilphata will be more than 21-km-long, thus forming a vital component of India’s first Bullet Train project connecting the two cities. Land acquisition has been a big issue for this project, especially in Maharashtra. Around 62 per cent of the land has been acquired in the state; as against this, in Gujarat more than 98 per cent of the land has been acquired and all five civil packages have been awarded. Out of the total 508 km length of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project, 348 km lies in Gujarat, 4 km in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and the balance 156 km is in Maharashtra.
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