Wadala truck terminal project hangs fire

The 10-year old rehabilitation programme for the transport industry in Mumbai, christened as Wadala Truck Terminal (WTT) project, has run into troubles and transporters' have sought state intervention in the matter.

The stringent conditions imposed on the project in terms of lease rent, ground rent, Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) taxes and stamp duty by various government departments has landed the project in a limbo.

The Bombay Goods Transport Association (BGTA) has demanded that the rules of displaced citizen project be made applicable to the Wadala Truck Terminal (WTT) project as it is based on a shift under compulsion out of the city bounds for the transporters.

Its other demands include complete exemption from ground rent, all plots to be made free of lease rent and to make the property tax applicable at par with Displaced Citizen Rehabilitation Projects.

S M Jalan, chairman of Wadala Truck Terminal Committee, BGTA, in a press statement said that Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA), the main controlling authority, had removed all the provisions of ground rents on their similar projects since 1997, hence it should also be applicable to WTT.

He argued that disparity in lease rent among 12 plots allotted to the association should be removed.

"Nearly seven plots were allotted on a premium inclusive of lease rent for 80 years, whereas 5 plots were allotted with additional lease rent attached. All the plots need to be made free of lease rent," Jalan said.

The association has also asked to make the lease effective from the day of the final agreement with all the 12 societies.

The lease was granted for 80 years, but as the direct agreement between MMRDA with all the 12 societies has yet to be signed, the lease should be deemed to be starting from the day of the final agreement, the association has demanded.

The Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) has slapped claims of property taxes since the beginning even when none of our members have got the charge of their plots.

"Our request to treat the property tax at par with Displaced Citizen Rehabilitation Projects have been ignored and the demands have continued. BMC must consider the ground realities of the project," Jalan said.

"Property registration department is also demanding the stamp duty as per their own assessment and is not ready to give any consideration to the fact that these properties are being purchased by transport companies under compulsion to shift and not out of their free will."

In 1992, BGTA offered to shift out of crowded areas of the city to an earmarked location at Wadala. The government objective was fair, to lessen the burden of traffic from the city and reduce the pollution levels.

BGTA agreed to such a proposal and transporters have already paid more than Rs 25 crore towards the project and its non-materialisation is causing heavy losses in terms of unproductive cost of interest on their investment, Jalan said.