Godrej's alternate land suitable for bullet train: NHSRCL to High Court

The National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) told the Bombay High Court on Tuesday that it has prima facie found an alternate land proposed by the Godrej Group suitable for acquisition for the bullet train project. Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd had in June this year approached the high court challenging the proposed acquisition of its prime property in suburban Vikhroli for the government's ambitious Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project. The conglomerate had on the last hearing told a division bench of Justices N H Patil and G S Kulkarni that it had suggested an alternate plot. However, it came to light that the said plot was embroiled in a title dispute between the Maharashtra government and the Godrej group. Following this, Godrej suggested a second alternate plot to the NHSRCL in Vikhroli for the project. The corporation, in an affidavit submitted to the court today, said prima facie the site is suitable. "We will examine the proposal in detail and have also sent a modified sketch for the petitioner's (Godrej) consideration," the affidavit said. The high court asked the state government's department concerned to also verify the second proposal.