The bullet train project is a high-speed railway project being developed in India to connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The project is being implemented by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a joint venture between the Government of India and the governments of the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
According to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, 21 km out of a total of 508.17 km of rail track is planned to be underground while the rest will be elevated. One of the entry points to the underground tunnel falls on the land (located in the Vikhroli area) owned by Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited.
Land acquisition is an important aspect of infrastructure projects like the bullet train project. The process of acquiring land involves negotiating with landowners and obtaining their agreement to sell or transfer their land for the purpose of the project. Land acquisition can be a complex and time-consuming process, and can often be a major challenge for infrastructure projects.
Land acquisition for India’s first superfast Bullet Train project has been completed today after the Honourable Bombay High Court dismissed the plea of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co. challenging the land acquisition of the company’s land in Vikhroli in Maharashtra.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project received a green nod from the Bombay High Court on Thursday. Terming the high-speed rail project as of “national importance and in the public interest”, the court refused to entertain a petition filed by Godrej & Boyce company. The company had challenged the land acquisition proceedings initiated by the Maharashtra government and the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) in Mumbai’s Vikhroli area for the project.
Dismissing the plea for land acquisition for the Bullet Train project, the Honourable Bombay High Court has today stated that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is of ‘national importance’. This verdict was delivered by a division bench of Justices R.D. Dhanuka and Justice M.M. Sathaye. The bench has said: “The project is of national importance and public interest… No interference is required. No illegality found in the compensation.”
It is possible that the recent news being reported is that 100% of the land required for the bullet train project has been acquired in the state of Maharashtra. This would be a major boost for the project, as it would mean that all the necessary land has been secured, and the project can proceed without any delays.
The area at Vikhroli is where one of the entrances to the underground tube is located (owned by Godrej). Godrej asserted that there were blatant illegalities in the land acquisition proceedings, while the State accused Godrej of being responsible for a cost increase of Rs. 1000 crore as a result of project delays.
The completion of land acquisition in Maharashtra is a significant milestone for the bullet train project, as it represents a major step forward in bringing this ambitious project to reality. The bullet train project is expected to provide a major boost to the economy, by creating jobs and attracting investment, and is seen as an important step in modernizing India’s transportation infrastructure.
