Setback for Maharashtra govt as Bombay HC stays metro car shed project

Mumbai, Dec 16: In a setback for Maharashtra government, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday stayed the metro car shed project at Mumbai's Kanjur Marg and asked the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to maintain the status quo.

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.

The Union government has filed a petition in the high court challenging the October 1, 2020, order passed by the Collector allotting the land for construction of the car shed, and said the land belongs to its (the Centre) salt department.

The Maharashtra government, however, opposed the plea and said the land, allotted to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for the Metro car shed, is owned by the state.

The Union government, in its plea, has claimed that entire salt pan lands in the area, including the 102 acres allotted to MMRDA, belongs to its salt department.

The erstwhile BJP-led government had decided to construct the car shed, part of Mumbai Metro line 3, at Aarey Colony despite opposition from environmentalists and activists who campaigned against cutting of a large number of trees for the project.

The present Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, led by the Shiv Sena and supported by the NCP and the Congress, on assuming office in November last year, decided to shift the car shed from Aarey Colony to Kanjurmarg.

The Uddhav Thackeray government has now decided to construct an integrated metro car shed at Kanjurmarg for lines 3, 4, 4A and 6, instead of building separate depots for these corridors.