Maharashtra To Adopt Land Pooling Model For Developing Wayside Amenities Along All Major Highways

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has plans to implement a land pooling scheme for the construction of wayside amenities along the highways.

The proposal for the land pooling scheme is currently being considered for several projects, including — the 172-km Pune ring road, the 720-km Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, the 128-km Vasai-Alibaug Expressway, and the 178-km Jalna-Nanded Expressway.

Under the land pooling model, citizens will need to give up 50 per cent of their land and in return receive a similar share of developed land to establish the wayside amenities.

According to Kailash Jadhav, joint managing director of MSRDC, the process will begin with around 16 spots along the Samruddhi corridor and then be rolled out in all other projects.

"We have identified spots along the highway near Aurangabad and Igatpuri along the Samruddhi corridor. There would be around eight spots along the Nagpur corridor side and the Mumbai corridor," he said.

The MSRDC is looking to obtain 10-12 acres of land at each of four locations in the Nashik and Aurangabad districts — through the land pooling model.

According to MSRDC's list, the amenities offered at the locations include parking lots for cars, buses, and trucks, workshops for vehicle repairs, toilets, restaurants, first aid centres, fuel stations, and more.

Officials have stated that the minimum investment required for constructing wayside amenities at each location is expected to be around Rs 50 crore.

The agencies responsible for the construction will have to complete the work within a two-year timeframe.

Given that the landholders in the area are primarily farmers, MSRDC is exploring the possibility of forming a joint venture with a partner who has significant capital to initiate the wayside amenities project.