On cue from CM, MMRDA dusts off old plans for BKC-type business hubs in city

U P S Madan, metropolitan commissioner at MMRDA, said, “The chief minister has desired that there should be more such centres. We are hoping to revive some projects. In fact, the Oshiwara business district had been in discussion with the previous government over the past few months as to what changes we could make to the existing plan for it to be viable.”

Creating more business districts was one of the prominent points of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election manifesto. Besides, Fadnavis, after being sworn in as the chief minister, has said on several occasions that the city needs at least 10 more BKC-like commercial districts.
The concept of a business centre in Oshiwara over a 102-hectare area was first conceived in 1992. The idea was that MMRDA would acquire land from the owners at a rupee and then lease it back to them for 60 years with a high Floor Space Index (FSI).

Madan said, “However, for several years, this didn’t succeed. Many land owners didn’t want to be constrained with our rules. There is also a lack of adequate infrastructure in the area. Many may have had doubts about how many years it would be before the government’s plans take shape. We are trying to find different ways and means of how to make this more successful.”

According to the development authority’s website, MMRDA has so far acquired and leased back 22.39 hectares, which is barely a fifth of the project area.

The Kanjur Marg project, on the other hand, was proposed in 2008, but was stuck as the state government was unable to hand over land under its ownership to MMRDA for development despite having granted an in-principle nod for the project. According to an MMRDA official, the state owns about 600 hectares from Kanjur village to the Mulund check post, of which 261 hectares is vacant. Some of it is also stuck in litigation.

“While some land is under litigation, some belongs to the government. If the government can hand it over to MMRDA, we can develop it exactly on the lines of BKC,” Madan said.

BKC was created on 370 hectares of once low-lying land on either side of the Mithi River, Vakolla Nalla and Mahim Creek. The MMRDA fixed a development plan for the region, developed the requisite infrastructure and auctioned plots for development of this business district, which has significantly eased the load on south Mumbai.

Besides, MMRDA owns an extensive sprawl in Wadala and has been trying to create a business hub there. The once ignored region is promising to be the city’s centre connected with the freeway, monorail and a proposed Metro. The authority is in the process of finalising a development plan for the region.

manasi.phadke@expressindia.com