Previous BJP-led Govt Was Okay with Car Shed at Kanjurmarg for Metro 6: Congress

The previous BJP-led government in Maharashtra had finalized the Kanjurmarg site in the city for Mumbai Metro-6 car shed but now it has changed its stand, the Congress alleged on Tuesday. The BJP — which has criticized the Shiv Sena-NCP- Congress government’s decision to shift the site of car shed for Mumbai Metro phase 3 from Aarey Colony to Kanjurmarg — dismissed the claim.

The Bombay High Court last Wednesday stayed the order passed by Mumbai suburban district collector allotting 102 acres of saltpan land in Kanjurmarg for integrated metro car shed as the Union governmet contended that it owns this land. “The Devendra Fadnavis government had decided on the same site in Kanjurmarg for car depot of Metro-6…..It is clearly mentioned in the DPR (detailed project report). The work of Metro 6 had started in 2017-18,” state Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant told reporters here.

The BJP-led government did not change the DPR nor did it look for more suitable site then, he said. “Which means the Kanjurmarg land was okay for Metro 6 then, but not for the Metro 3 project now (as per the BJP),” Sawant said, questioning the party’s present stand.

The Fadnavis government had also accepted a proposal by a private developer on June 11, 2019, to build one lakh affordable houses on the same Kanjurmarg land under the Centre’s Housing for All by 2022 scheme, he claimed. “Was the BJP working as an agent for builders?” he asked.

Reacting to the allegations, state BJP’s chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye accused the Congress leader of telling lies. Sawant should not make himself laughable by exhibiting his lack of knowledge about the issue, he said.

“Private persons had staked claim to the Kanjurmarg land and approached the court. Why is he misleading on the issue by referring to different documents?” Upadhye asked. The previous BJP-led government had decided to build car shed for Metro line 3 at Aarey Colony, despite opposition from green activists to the felling of trees for the project.

The present Sena-led government decided to shift the site to Kanjurmarg. However, the Union government filed a petition in the highcourtchallenging the October 1, 2020 order passed by the collector allotting the land for car shed, saying the land belongs to the Union government’s salt department.

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