Cabinet allows transfer of AAI’s 40 acres of land to MMRDA

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved transferring 40 acres of land owned by the Airports Authority of India to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The transaction would enable the MMRDA to complete the metro rail project in Mumbai, an official release said.

The land at RR station, Dahisar, would be transferred to the MMRDA for its metro shed. In return, 40 acres of state government land at Gorai would be swapped. The MMRDA would hand over the Gorai land after levelling, grading and demarcating the boundary, reports PTI.

"The MMRDA will pay the difference in cost of land of 40 acres, as per the stamp duty ready reckoner rate based on 2016-17 arrived at Rs 472.70 crore or as per the ready reckoner rate at the time of final handing over of land, whichever is higher," the release said.

The AAl would handover at least 2,000 square metres of land at Dahisar in advance on temporary basis. "The present proposal will generate employment for skilled, semi-skilled labourers along with job opportunities for technical experts, also there will be creation of jobs in manufacturing industries involved in the metro construction work," the release said.

The Maharashtra government is implementing Mumbai Metro Rail Master Plan for which a special purpose vehicle, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), has been set up. According to the release, the AAI owns land area of about 64 acres at Dahisar and some part of the land is encroached.

"The MMRC has planned to construct a car shed on the Dahisar (E) to Andheri (E) metro corridor. A portion of the identified land for car shed ie. 17.47 hectares (approximately 44 acres) is owned by the AAI," it added.