Jan 16, 2025 08:59 AM IST
BMC revamps auction plans for prime plots in Worli, Crawford Market, and Malabar Hill due to lack of bids; only Worli plot will be retendered.
MUMBAI: The BMC’s proposal to auction three of its prime plots in Worli, Crawford Market and Malabar Hill has been rejigged following no response from bidders on December 16 and after certain developments. The civic body will now retender the auction proposal for the Worli plot, has paused the auction of the Crawford Market plot, and dropped the idea of auctioning the Malabar Hill plot altogether.
The plot near Crawford Market once housed Chhatrapati Shivaji Market and had a four-storey building on it that accommodated several BMC offices. The ground floor was used as a wholesale market by the fishing community. However, the building was demolished in 2015 after being declared dilapidated.
“MLA Atul Bhosale has made a representation to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding this plot,” said a civic official from the BMC’s estate department. “The fishing community went to him with its grievances, and the CM directed us not to auction the plot until further orders.”
The BMC has dropped the idea of auctioning off the 2,432-square-metre Malabar Hill plot, which houses a Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) receiving station. The public transport and electricity utility had written to the civic body that it was unable to find an alternative location nearby to set up a receiving station. HT had reported this particular development on December 25.
“BEST informed the BMC that its receiving station supplies electricity to the entire Malabar Hill area, including the coastal road and VIP area with bungalows of various ministers,” added the civic official. “There is no equivalent plot area where it can be relocated. BEST also conveyed that the cost of relocation alone would be ₹400 crore to ₹500 crore. So now, only the Worli asphalt plant plot will be retendered, and is awaiting civic chief and administrator Bhushan Gagrani’s approval.”
Notable companies like L&T, Godrej Properties, Welspun World, H N Safal, Runwal Developers, DB Realty and representatives of architects had evinced an interest earlier in the pre-bid meeting on November 12 to discuss the auction and acquire these lands on a 30-year lease but had not responded with bids on December 16.
This was the first time that the BMC was to lease out its plots for 30 years with a renewal of another 30 years, similar to institutions like MMRDA and MSRDC monetising their land banks to raise money for the infrastructure projects implemented by them. The proceeds from these sales were expected to fund various infrastructure projects initiated by the civic body.
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