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    Bombay High Court stays metro car shed work at Kanjurmarg plot

    Synopsis

    The injunction came on the Centre’s petition which contended that the land belonged to the salt department. The Maharashtra government has indicated that it would be challenge the injunction in the Supreme Court.

    bombay-hcAgencies
    A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni asked the state to not carry out any construction at the site till the case was settled.
    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday stayed the Maharashtra government’s order allocating 102 acres of salt pan in Mumbai’s Kanjurmarg for an integrated metro car shed. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni asked the state to not carry out any construction at the site till the case was settled.

    The injunction came on the Centre’s petition which contended that the land belonged to the salt department. The Maharashtra government has indicated that it would be challenge the injunction in the Supreme Court. “Be it the state or the Centre, no one should create hurdles in the way of development. In my 30 years of political life, I have never brought politics in the way of development,” said deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. “We await the detailed written order to decide the future course of action. This land is crucial for Metro Line 6, 4 and 14, apart from 3, as it will save almost Rs 5,500 crore of government and will be a nodal point for 1 crore citizens,” environment and tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray tweeted

    The Metro 3 car shed had seen a bitter battle between BJP and its former ally the Shiv Sena. The BJP government had decided to have the car shed at Aarey, considered the city’s green lung. Environmentalists and the Shiv Sena opposed the project, saying it would harm wildlife. Work for the shed began by felling several trees but when the Sena came to power in coalition with the NCP and Congress, it decided to relocate the project to Kanjurmarg.

    The BJP contends that relocating the project would escalate costs and delay the project by 3-4 years. After the HC ruling, Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis said, “leave your ego aside and start the construction of the car shed in Aarey, we will not criticise you. The project is getting delayed and the costs for the project are going up. This is the people’s money.” The ‘ego’ barb was aimed at Thackeray who had vocally opposed the Aarey project.


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    ( Originally published on Dec 16, 2020 )

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