CM refuses to allot land in BKC for PM’s bullet train project
Representational image of a bullet train
Local Press Co 5-point Snippet
1. The Rs 98,000 crore bullet train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai has run into a roadblock after Maharashtra state government refused to provide plot for the Mumbai station.
2. The railways had planned to build the Mumbai station underground at Bandra-Kurla complex (BKC) after surveying all possible areas and speaking with state authorities. But, the state government has reportedly told Railways that the station would come in the way of it’s plans of building a financial center at the same spot.
3. According to an Indian Express report, Railway authorities and state government officials, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, held two meetings to solve the location conundrum, but failed to reach a conclusion.
4. The Railways is demanding less than one hectare of the 28-hectare BKC land, claiming that the proximity to a high-speed mode of transport will only help the commercial center. However, the state officials are arguing that allotting up prime BKC land to the railways would lead to a projected revenue loss of Rs 10,000 crore for the state.
5. Moreover, since only a small part of the bullet train corridor falls in Maharashtra, the state has reportedly asked Railways to either either extend the project beyond Mumbai to make it a viable option or use its own vacant land at Bandra/Kurla for constructing the station.
