Mumbai: A 30-storey Bihar Bhavan is set to come up off P D’Mello Road near Wadi Bunder in Mumbai, marking a major step towards fulfilling the long-standing demand of the city’s Bihar-origin residents for a dedicated cultural and community centre.
A Multifunctional Hub for Cultural and Official Activities
The proposed landmark is expected to serve as a hub for cultural activities, community gatherings and official functions for the large Bihari diaspora in Mumbai.
The Bihar government has issued tenders for the construction of the building, the first phase of which is expected to cost between Rs 300 crore and Rs 400 crore, said Bihar Foundation Mumbai Chapter spokesperson Manoj Singh Rajput. The current tender for the project is Rs 314 crore. The tentative design for the building has been approved.
The building is expected to house an investment commission representing Bihar, offices of the state’s tourism department, an art and culture centre, guest rooms, and accommodation for relatives of patients from Bihar visiting Mumbai’s hospitals. Bihar Foundation said the land was earlier owned by the Mumbai Port Trust and was allotted to the Bihar government in 2023.
Location Choice Draws Criticism from Community Representatives
Though the Bihar Foundation, an organisation sponsored by the state government, said the site is ideal because of its proximity to Maharashtra government offices in South Mumbai, there has been criticism about the choice of location near Dongri.
U K Singh, secretary of the Bihar Association, said the Bihar government had ignored an offer by Maharashtra to provide land in Navi Mumbai for a nominal price to build state bhavans.
“Other states like Kerala, Assam and Meghalaya built large buildings in Navi Mumbai. The BPT land was bought for Rs 155 crore — a relatively high price for a locality which has associations with the city’s underworld. There are no other government offices in the area. Tata Memorial Hospital is increasingly using its Kharghar centre for treating patients. The Bihar government could have bought cheaper land in Navi Mumbai,” Singh said.
Rajput, however, said the building will be close to railway stations and major hospitals. He added that Lalu Prasad Yadav’s government was ruling Bihar when the Maharashtra government had offered land in Navi Mumbai. “But the offer was not taken up,” Rajput said.
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