Mumbai, August 2026: The pending issue of compensation for fishermen affected by the Versova-Bandra Sea Link project will be addressed within two months of receiving the detailed study report being prepared by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Thursday.
He said the state government would take a positive decision to provide substantial compensation to the affected fishermen after examining the report and finalising appropriate compensation criteria.
A meeting on the issue was held through videoconferencing under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Shinde. Fisheries Development Minister Nitesh Rane, Department Secretary M. Ramaswamy, Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) Anilkumar Gaikwad, former MLA Kiran Pawaskar and representatives of fishermen’s organisations were present.
During the meeting, the issue of fishermen affected by the Coastal Road project who have not yet received compensation was also raised. Deputy Chief Minister Shinde directed the concerned authorities to initiate appropriate action and resolve the matter at the earliest.
Shinde reiterated that the state government stands firmly with the fishing community and is committed to addressing their concerns. He said the government would take all necessary steps to ensure that the problems faced by affected fishermen are resolved in a fair and timely manner.
The meeting also discussed the ongoing study by TISS to determine appropriate criteria for compensating fishermen affected by infrastructure projects.
In addition, discussions were held on providing essential infrastructure facilities for fishermen in the Juhu-Versova area, including jetties, net-fixing facilities and drying yards.
The government is expected to take further decisions on compensation and related infrastructure after receiving and reviewing the TISS report.
