Mumbai's Land Monetisation: A Threat to Public Trust and Urban Equity
The controversy surrounding the Parth Pawar land deal in Pune has exposed a broader issue: the systematic monetisation of public land in Maharashtra. This practice, often driven by political interests, is leading to the privatization of valuable public assets, raising concerns among citizens and urban planners.
Land MonetisationPublic AssetsUrban PlanningPolitical InterferenceCivic AmenitiesReal Estate MumbaiNov 12, 2025
Public infrastructure agencies, such as the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking (BEST), Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), Mumbai Port Trust, and the railways, are now behaving like private landlords. They are rushing to ‘monetise’ land that was originally granted to them free or at throwaway prices to serve citizens. This land belongs to the people and is not a tradable asset for short-term fiscal gain.
The model of land monetisation is straightforward and insidious. Public entities reserve a small space for the original user (such as a bus depot) and hand the rest over to private builders under the guise of development. The latest example is a white paper from the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA), which proposes to redevelop and monetise 27 BEST depots, starting with three pilot projects at Bandra, Dindoshi, and Deonar. The stated goal is to modernize ageing depots, attract private investment, and create ‘mixed-use’ spaces combining transport, offices, and luxury housing.
The government’s logic is simple: cash-strapped public bodies like BEST need non-fare revenue. However, this argument ignores decades of financial mismanagement, political interference, and dubious outsourcing contracts that have crippled such undertakings. Instead of reforming governance, the government is stripping assets. Three earlier ‘redevelopment’ projects of bus depots (Mahim, Kurla, and Andheri) have already shown the results in the form of cramped depots, fewer parking bays, and valuable real estate ending up with private builders.
Mumbaikars are losing patience with such one-sided decisions, touted as ‘development’ without public discussion or checks and balances. Monetisation is a short-term fix that consumes the city’s most valuable and finite resource—its land. This pattern has been repeated over the decades. The mill land sell-off spawned luxury towers in the middle of squalid, narrow streets, leading to traffic chaos and the destruction of Mumbai’s green cover. Cluster development promises and port trust land sales have failed to deliver public benefits. Courts have repeatedly accepted the government’s assurances without examining its track record of broken promises.
Alarmed by a new wave of monetisation announcements, including railway land, city activists met in October to question the wisdom of surrendering irreplaceable public land to private builders in the name of fiscal reform. Public undertakings, like BEST and MSRTC, are ‘land-rich but cash-poor’. Instead of fixing inefficiency, enforcing accountability, or improving revenue collection, they are liquidating land, usually under political pressure. Almost every public agency has been directed to identify ‘under-utilised’ land for redevelopment. Once private developers step in, projects are altered, FSI (floor space index) limits expanded, timelines stretched, and public benefits reduced.
Weak oversight and collusion ensure that Mumbai ends up with sub-standard projects and reduced public amenities. Examples abound, such as the Atal Setu trans-harbour bridge, which required resurfacing just over a year after its high-profile inauguration. The reconstruction of the Gokhale bridge is another example of systemic failures that were breezily covered up.
A ‘Civil Society White Paper’ prepared by Mumbai activists, NGOs, and urban planners has called for a moratorium on all land monetisation until a transparent, accountable framework is established. They argue that ‘monetisation’ has become a backdoor mechanism for real-estate capture of public assets. The problem is not limited to Mumbai. The transport department plans to lease out MSRTC’s 13,000-acre bus depot land for ‘modernisation’. Private developers and construction conglomerates are already circling. Once signed, these 98-year leases effectively privatize the state’s transport footprint for a century.
Monetisation of public land is not confined to transport. The Mumbai Port Trust has been steadily auctioning its waterfront estates. The railways are exploring the redevelopment of stations through private concessionaires. Public institutions facing budget shortfalls choose to sell valuable land rather than improve efficiency or plug financial leakages. This fire sale serves political interests and deepens the city’s inequality.
Mumbai’s tragedy lies in the sheer scale of public ownership. Vast tracts of land are held by municipal, state, or Central agencies. Once this land is monetised, there is no reclaiming it. Future generations will inherit a city where every square metre is commercialised, with no space left for open parks, bus depots, or civic amenities.
For citizens, this is the moment to draw a red line. Once public land is leased for 90 or 98 years, it is effectively gone forever. Monetisation today is to barter Mumbai’s tomorrow and to trade short-term gains for political convenience. The demands from Mumbai’s concerned citizens are simple:
Public land is held in public trust. The State and its agencies are custodians, not owners, and must preserve and enhance it, not diminish it. All ongoing or proposed monetisation initiatives must be suspended. Decisions of such magnitude must not be taken behind closed doors or justified by bureaucratic jargon; they need public consensus. The government must issue a white paper with a city-wide audit of all public-land transactions, full disclosure of lease terms, and details of ongoing monetisation transactions. A land-use policy must be formulated after public consultation, and a freeze on new monetisation projects must be implemented until a public framework is debated and approved.
A Public Land Protection Act must be enacted to legislate protection, define public purpose, and classify essential lands (such as depots, schools, hospitals, open spaces) as non-alienable public assets. Mandatory audits, oversight, and citizen participation must be instituted.
Unless Mumbai halts this reckless monetisation, it will soon become a city of luxury towers with no roads, of gated communities surrounded by traffic chaos, and of citizens priced out of their own commons. Public land is not a piggy bank to be raided; it is the city’s inheritance. Once sold, it is lost forever. The fight to protect Mumbai’s land is not just about property; it’s about preserving the city’s soul.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is land monetisation, and how does it work?
Land monetisation involves public entities like BEST, MSRTC, and the Mumbai Port Trust selling or leasing land they own to private developers. The goal is to generate revenue, but it often leads to the loss of public land and amenities.
Why is the Parth Pawar land deal controversial?
The Parth Pawar land deal in Pune involved the transfer of 40 acres of government land, reserved for the scheduled caste community, to a firm linked to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s son for a fraction of its market value, raising concerns about political influence and corruption.
What are the consequences of land monetisation for Mumbai?
The consequences include the loss of public spaces, reduced civic amenities, and increased inequality. Public land is being converted into luxury developments, leading to traffic congestion and the destruction of green spaces.
What are the demands of Mumbai's concerned citizens regarding land monetisation?
Mumbai’s citizens are calling for a moratorium on land monetisation, a transparent and accountable framework, and a public land protection act to ensure that public land is not sold or leased for private profit without public consent.
How can the government address the issue of land monetisation?
The government can address the issue by suspending all ongoing or proposed monetisation initiatives, conducting a city-wide audit of public-land transactions, and formulating a land-use policy through public consultation and citizen participation.
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