Mumbai, Aug. 5 -- The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Committee on Tuesday approved an ambitious plan to revive the cash-strapped undertaking by redeveloping 22 of its 27 bus depots into mixed-use urban hubs. The proposal will now be sent to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and, subsequently, to the state cabinet for approval. The plan, first presented to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in June, seeks to transform ageing depots across the city into modern, integrated hubs with commercial, residential and social infrastructure, while generating revenue to fund BEST's revival. BEST estimates it requires nearly Rs.28,000 crore to achieve financial stability. Of this, around Rs.14,323 crore is needed to clear existing liabilities, while another Rs.13,561 crore would be required to procure and operate 5,000 BEST-owned buses and meet employee-related commitments. The undertaking owns bus depots spanning across 771,000 square metres or about 190 acres. Of these, 22 depots covering 132 acres will undergo redevelopment as part of the proposed overhaul. BEST has appointed consultancy firm KPMG to prepare the redevelopment roadmap. "The redevelopment of bus depots is part of the overall transformation of BEST. We have demanded a higher FSI (floor space index) of 7, which has been provided to Metro 3, against the existing 1.3 FSI. This will help in revenue generation. Moreover, the plan is not just to have residential and commercial buildings but to create spaces such as educational institutes, medical facilities, parking spaces for vehicles and social infrastructure on the depot land," said BEST general manager Sonia Sethi. The redevelopment will be carried out through the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) model under a public-private partnership (PPP), with land ownership remaining with BEST. Officials said the proposal draws on transport-oriented developments in cities such as Stockholm, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Paris, where transport infrastructure is integrated with commercial, residential and public amenities. Existing depots will continue to function as operational bus facilities while also accommodating schools, hospitals, sports auditoriums, commercial establishments, affordable housing, and public parking facilities. "Such mixed-use development would maximise the value of prime land parcels owned by BEST across Mumbai, while creating neighbourhood facilities for our staff through better staff quarters, creating parking lots for 10,000 BEST buses and other amenities," said BEST committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao....