MbPT eyes Rs 500 cr for 5-hectare land

The port trust is asking for the exorbitant amount or for 25 acre of land in lieu of the plot they would be providing to MMRDA for the construction of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link

The construction of the Sewri-Nhava Sheva Sealink has hit another roadblock. The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) is eyeing Rs 500 crore or 25 acres of land in lieu of the five hectares of land that is required for the Mumbai Trans Harbour Sea Link (MTHL).

According to sources, MbPT has demanded 25 acres of land or Rs 500 crore in a letter written by its chairman Rajeev Gupta recently. The proposal to allocate its land for the MTHL is likely to come up for discussion in MbPT's board meeting scheduled on November 1, said sources.

When MiD DAY contacted Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) commissioner to confirm the report, Rahul Asthana said, "We have also heard about this but we have not received any formal communication about the same."

Meanwhile, at a meeting chaired by CM Prithviraj Chavan on Monday, a cost escalation of Rs 1,926 crore was approved increasing the cost of the entire construction from Rs 7,704 crore to Rs 9,630 crore. The escalation was approved considering the consultant's recommendations that say 25 per cent increase should be perceived taking note of rates of interest and inflation.