Mumbai, July 3 (IANS) The construction of the Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor, a high-stakes infrastructure project handled by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), is set for a major push.

In a significant move to bypass forest clearance bottlenecks, the state revenue department has approved the transfer of 30 hectares of government land in Chandigaon, located in the Dahanu taluka of Palghar district, to the Forest Department.

The corridor aims to establish a seamless, direct link between Palghar and Raigad districts, bypassing inner city roads. Once operational, it is expected to drastically decongest the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and significantly slash travel times between the two districts.

The critical decision was fast-tracked by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule following directives from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The state government has officially classified the multi-modal corridor as an “urgent public utility project.”

Under the current phase of the mega-project, an 80-kilometre-long highway stretch is being developed between Navghar (Vasai, Palghar) and Chirner (Uran, Raigad). Because the proposed alignment cuts through existing forest zones, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC)was legally required to provide alternative land to the Forest Department for compensatory afforestation to secure central clearance, said Minister Bawankule.

To satisfy this requirement, a 30-hectare parcel has been carved out from the larger 252.95-hectare government land bank in Chandigaon. The land will be handed over to MSRDC under the ‘Occupant Class-II’ category at a nominal lease rate of just Rs 1 per square meter, informed the minister.

The government’s final approval follows a detailed feasibility report submitted earlier this year by the Konkan Divisional Commissioner and the Palghar District Collector.

With this land handover, the primary regulatory hurdle slowing down the project has been cleared. The minister said that the revenue department has attached a set of strict compliance conditions to the land allotment.

“The MSRDC must complete the physical handover of the 30-hectare plot to the Forest Department within the next three months. The land must be used strictly for its designated public purpose. If the project stalls or stops, the land will revert to the state government without any financial compensation,” mentioned the minister.

According to the minister, MSRDC cannot transfer, lease, or mortgage the land to any third party without explicit government permission.

The Forest Department will bear complete legal and operational responsibility for clearing and preventing any future encroachments on this land.

–IANS

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