Seven growth centres or central business districts spread over an area of 3,000 acres each will come up adjoining the ambitious Multi-Modal Corridor connecting Virar and Alibaug planned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. The development authority has also finalised the locations of such centres.
“In all, we have identified seven growth centers along the Multi-Modal Corridor. Land for these growth centers as well as for the corridor project needs to be acquired,” said Rahul Asthana, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA.
“The seven locations are Virar, Chinchoti, Anjurdive, Ulhasnagar, Kalamboli, Panvel and Kon,” said Dilip Kawathkar, joint project director, public relations, MMRDA.
According to additional metropolitan commissioner S.V.R. Srinivas each of such centres will be spread over an area of anywhere around 3,000 to 4,000 acres.
These centres will be similar to those like Bandra-Kurla Complex, Oshiwara Business District or Nariman Point. Apart from commercial structures, there will be an area reserved for residential colonies so that people working at these commercial places do not have to commute.
As land acquisition is going to be a challenging task, the authorities have planned to rope in landowners, most of whom are farm owners, who will reap in profits with development of the land. This plan is an alternative to the acquisition of land by paying a pittance to the landowners initially and the state later selling the same plot at exorbitant rates to private players.
There are also plans in the pipeline to realign the Multi-Modal Corridor in the Thane district.