The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) general body has approved a proposal to redevelop 22 of the 27 BEST bus depots in Mumbai through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The proposal was introduced as an urgent business motion and cleared around 12.35 am after more than two hours of discussion.
The BEST committee had granted in-principle approval to the plan on August 4. The redevelopment forms part of BEST’s ₹28,000-crore turnaround and modernisation programme, which aims to strengthen the financially stressed undertaking and upgrade its infrastructure.
22 Depots To Be Redeveloped
The 22 identified depots collectively occupy nearly 132 acres and are proposed to be developed under the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) model. The plan envisages mixed-use developments combining transport facilities with commercial components, with revenue from the latter expected to support BEST’s long-term finances.
“We are not selling or giving them away. We are leasing them. We have earlier also given plots on 999-year leases,” said Trushna Vishwasrao, chairperson of the BEST Committee.
BEST general manager Sonia Sethi said redevelopment was required to modernise the undertaking, upgrade depots and install charging infrastructure for buses. “We want 10,000 buses. Modernisation is important but we do not have the resources. How do we fund this modernisation?” she asked.
Sethi also said around 10,000 tenements would be developed for BEST employees. Vishwasrao added that ₹500 crore allocated towards gratuity had already been released and would be used for payments.
Opposition Questions PPP Model
The proposal faced resistance from opposition members during the debate. Sena (UBT) corporator Yashodhar Phanse questioned the estimated ₹28,000-crore value of the properties and raised concerns over the possible privatisation of BEST assets.
Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi called for the BMC to undertake the redevelopment independently instead of involving private developers. Opposition members also sought a white paper detailing previous attempts since 2007 to commercially develop or privatise BEST depots.
The approved proposal is expected to use commercial development across the 132-acre land parcel to create a long-term revenue stream for BEST while supporting its proposed fleet and infrastructure expansion.
Source: Hindustan Times
