Mumbai: In a significant decision addressing a long-pending demand, the Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved the transfer of government land at Achole in Vasai to the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) for the construction of a 400-bed super speciality hospital. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement after the cabinet meeting, calling it a “historic step” for the region’s healthcare.
Despite a population of over 28 lakh, Vasai-Virar has had no major public hospital since the creation of VVCMC in 2009. Residents are forced to travel to Mira Road, Borivali, or Andheri for emergency care, while the civic body currently operates only two small hospitals at Bolinj and Vasai.
The project had been stalled for years despite the state sanctioning ₹250 crore in July 2024, with ₹25 crore already released. The delay was due to the land, originally owned by the law and judiciary department for a district court, not being transferred. Twice foundation stones were laid but construction could not begin.
The deadlock ended after Nallasopara MLA Rajan Naik wrote to CM Fadnavis in March 2025. Acting on his intervention, the Konkan Divisional Commissioner prepared a fresh proposal, enabling the land to be reverted to the revenue department and finally handed over to VVCMC.
Naik, expressing gratitude, said: “We will soon meet CM Fadnavis to finalise the hospital’s operational framework and recruit professors. With the land now available, Vasai-Virar also has the potential to establish a medical college in the future.”
Currently, serious cases such as snake bites are referred to BMC-run Bhagwati Hospital in Borivali, while those who can afford it turn to private facilities like Karuna Hospital. Officials noted the Achole hospital will significantly reduce dependence on Mumbai’s already overburdened healthcare system.
The decision comes just months ahead of civic polls. Political observers view the move as a major boost for the BJP, which aims to consolidate its growing influence in Vasai-Virar, a region traditionally dominated by Hitendra Thakur’s Bahujan Vikas Aghadi.
