Bullet train project hits Godrej Group hurdle, drags case to court

Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project is now facing yet another hurdle while acquiring land. This time the land is not in possession of farmers, it is owned by one of the largest developers in India, Godrej group. The land in Vikhroli was needed for the project, but Godrej Group has approached the Bombay High Court, creating another hurdle for the government. 

The Mumbai suburban collector office had reportedly wrote to the Godrej group, for acquisition of the land. If the land owner and the authorities can't reach an agreement then the later will have to either change the track alignment or forcibly acquire the land, says a Business Standard report.  The company wants that the project alignment be changed so that about 3.5 hectares or 8.6 acres of Godrej Constructions land do not fall in the project route map, the report stated.

The bullet train project will cover 21 km in Mumbai of the total 508 km and most of the stretch will be underground. The train will enter the tunnel where the Godrej land is and the are a in question is to be used for ventilation ducts. This is the latest hurdle. To acquire land, it will cost $17 billion. The project has witnessed strong resistance from farmers and tribal villages, especially in Palghar district of Maharashtra. 

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The Indian Railways is in the process of acquiring 1,400 hectares of land in Maharashtra and Gujarat at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore.