Published 17:08 IST, December 16th 2020
'Govt should keep ego aside, start car shed work at Aarey': Ex-CM Fadnavis on HC's order
Fadnavis slammed state's Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray and stated that the young politician should refer to reports prepared by expert committees
- India News
- 4 min read
Reacting to the Bombay High Court's stay order on the metro car shed project at Kanjurmarg, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Devendra Fadnavis has remarked that despite being aware of the fact that the allocated land is 'disputed,' the Maharashtra government went ahead with the project just to 'satisfy their ego'. Labelling the High Court's decision as a 'huge embarrassment' for the Maharashtra government, the BJP leader pointed out a report which affirmed that if the project is shifted to Kanjurmarg from Aarey, an additional expense of Rs 5000 crores will have to be brunt and the completion of the metro project will also be delayed until 2024.
Fadnavis also slammed the state's Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray and stated that the young politician should refer to reports prepared by expert committees before taking decisions in a haste.
'I also presented a report..'
Addressing the media on Wednesday, the former Maharashtra CM said, "At a time when nearly the work amounting Rs 100 crores has already been done, just to satisfy their ego, they shifted the car shed to Kanjurmarg. We apprised them of the fact that the land in Kanjurmarg is disputed because even we were trying to shift the car shed from Aarey."
"Today, the decision by the High Court is a huge embarrassment for the state government. In clear words, the High Court as said, the order passed by the collector is stayed. It has also stated that the state government cannot continue with any projects there. I also presented a report prepared by the committee formed by the present government which says, if the depot is shifted to Kanjurmarg, an additional expense of Rs 5000 crores will have to brunt. It also says that the metro expected to commence from 2021 will not be ready until 2024," Fadnavis added.
Apart from Devendra Fadnavis, BJP's Atul Bhatkhalkar also called out the Maharashtra government over its decision to shift the car shed project to Kanjurmarg. Bhatkhalkar said that the Shiv Sena government shifted the project with the only motive 'to settle a political score' with the BJP. Another BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya demanded the resignation of state environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, son of CM Uddhav Thackeray, for his insistence to shift the project to Kanjurmarg.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday stayed the metro car shed project at Kanjurmarg in Mumbai and has asked Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to maintain status quo. The Maharashtra Government has agreed to take back its October 15, 2020, order of land allotment to MMRDA for Metro car shed at Kanjurmarg.
The High Court on Monday asked the Maharashtra government to consider withdrawing an order passed by the Mumbai Suburban District Collector allotting 102 acres of saltpan land at Kanjurmarg for construction of a Metro car shed. The Centre and the Shiv Sena-led MVA government in Maharashtra are locked in a tussle over ownership of the land earmarked by the state for constructing the car depot which was earlier planned at Aarey Colony, a green belt in suburban Goregaon.
Maha Dy CM reacts to HC order
Issuing the government's first response to the Bombay HC's decision, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar indicated that the state might approach the Supreme Court against the stay order. Talking to media, the NCP leader said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government's decision to shift the car depot project from Aarey Colony to Kanjurmarg seemed to have hurt a lot of people and that is why the Centre took an extreme step. "In the Constitution and law, there is a provision of making an appeal against a court decision. Hence, it will be thought about," the deputy chief minister said.
Updated 17:08 IST, December 16th 2020
