MoU rift hits Mumbai airport plans

The Mumbai airport expansion plans are in serious trouble thanks to the deadlock between the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the GVK-SA-led consortium over the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a two-phase road map to remove encroachments affecting the redevelopment.
The delay in the signing of the MoU is linked to the consortium’s indecision on selecting an alternative land in relocating the 58,000 eligible slum-dwellers from the existing 80,000 cramped in 31 slum pockets spread over 234 acres around the airport.
“They (consortium) have approached us with the MoU. But since an alternative land to rehouse the slums is not finalised, we cannot sign the same. Technically, we need 400 acres to rehouse 80,000 slums. As of now, not even four acres are being shown to us,” said T Chandrashekhar, metropolitan commissioner.
19/10/06 Smita Deshmukh/Daily News & Analysis

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