MMOPL owes MMRDA Rs 28.55 crore in rent for 2.47 hectare plot in Versova: RTI

A Right to Information (RTI) query has revealed that Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) owes Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Rs 28.55 crore in rent for the 2.47 hectare plot reserved for state home guards in Versova. The land was given to MMOPL for a period of 15 months for construction of casting yard for Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar (VAG) Metro 1 corridor in 2009. RTI activist, Anil Galgali, said, “MMOPL is not constructing the proposed training centre as promised while taking possession of the land during construction of Metro 1.” He added that MMOPL had paid MMRDA only Rs 3.97 crore in rent, while the actual rent payable to MMRDA as on March 21, 2016, including 14 per cent with delayed interest, was Rs 28.55 crore.

However, a MMOPL spokesperson, in his email, said, “The RTI query portrays only half the picture. The home guard land was provided to MMOPL during construction of the alignment. However, MMRDA was not able to provide unencumbered right of way as per concession agreement due to various reasons and instead, took more than six years and six months. As such, MMOPL was forced to extend usage of home guard land as the project was to be completed.”