The Maharashtra government has assured that the development of the Mogharpada Metro Car Shed Depot on Metro 4 and 4A will not cause any injustice to the Agri-Koli community or affected farmers. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik held a meeting with the project-affected farmers at the District Planning Committee hall in Thane on Friday to discuss compensation and rehabilitation plans.

Metro Line 4 is a 32.3 km long line that runs from Wadala to Kasarvadavli while Line 4A is a 2.88 km long extension of Line 4 that runs from Kasarvadavli to Gaimukh.

The meeting was attended by Thane District Collector Ashok Shingare, Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao, MMRDA Additional Commissioner Ashwin Mudgal, Resident Deputy Collector Dr. Sandeep Mane, Sub-Divisional Officer Urmila Patil, and District Land Superintendent Babasaheb Redkar, along with other officials and affected farmers.

During the discussion, Sarnaik informed the farmers about the state government’s compensation policy, which is the first of its kind in Maharashtra. He stated that 167 leaseholder farmers and 31 encroachers from Survey No. 30 in Mogharpada will receive compensation under a specially designed rehabilitation plan.

"The government has approved the transfer of 174.01 hectares of land to MMRDA, and eligibility criteria for compensation have been determined by the district administration. The compensation will be provided as per CIDCO’s prevailing Floor Space Index (FSI) policies for developed plots," Sarnaik said.

The government has also devised a two-tier compensation structure for affected farmers which includes farmers with land ownership (recorded on 7/12 extract) will receive 22.5% of the developed land as compensation while encroachers without ownership but in possession of government land will receive 12.5% of the developed land as per state regulations.

Sarnaik highlighted that this is a historic initiative, ensuring fair rehabilitation for farmers through compensation in the form of developed plots with infrastructure including roads, drainage systems, electric poles, and proper resettlement facilities.

In addition, MMRDA official Vikas Patil gave a detailed presentation to the farmers on the benefits they would receive under the government’s compensation plan. Collector Ashok Shingare, Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao, and MMRDA Additional Commissioner Ashwin Mudgal assured the farmers that they would be compensated fairly and adequately.

Acknowledging the cooperation of farmers in the state’s development projects, the officials expressed their gratitude and appreciation for their support in facilitating the metro carshed project.