Eight months after BMC issued tenders to auction three prime land parcels in Mumbai—located at Malabar Hill, Worli, and near Crawford Market in Fort—the outcome of the proposed sale remains unclear.
This initiative marked the first occasion on which the civic body chose to auction its own properties, signifying a change in its approach to monetizing real estate assets and generating long-term revenue. Nevertheless, the auction process encountered several obstacles.
The plan to auction the Malabar Hill plot was abandoned early on due to objections from BEST, as the land is traversed by high-tension transmission lines. Furthermore, over 60 local residents raised concerns, noting that the property card for the plot designates it as a BMC-owned area intended for a public garden. Subsequently, the civic body moved forward with plans to auction the other two plots.
These vacant land parcels are intended to be leased for a duration of 30 years, with an option for renewal for an additional 30 years, and are anticipated to generate significant revenue for BMC. However, an official indicated that Central Railway requested a section of the plot near Crawford Market—at no cost—to establish a passenger outlet from CSMT via a proposed skywalk. “Given that the entire plot was designated for auction, partitioning a portion of it may not be feasible,” remarked a civic official.
A high-level meeting regarding this issue was recently convened with the chief secretary, the official added. Regarding the Worli plot, RBI approached BMC independently, although it did not engage in the bidding process.BMC officials confirmed that while bids were submitted for the Worli land, the responses are currently under evaluation.
In October of the previous year, shortly before the model code of conduct for the assembly elections was implemented, the tender was issued. Aaditya Thackeray, a leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) and an MLA, expressed his opposition to the auctions, asserting that the BMC is progressively relinquishing control over essential land resources that could be utilized for public infrastructure or amenities.
