New Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis have decided to shift the proposed Mumbai Metro Line-3 car shed back to Aarey Colony.
During the new state government's first cabinet meeting on Thursday evening, Fadnavis directed the state advocate general and administration to submit a proposal on building the metro car shed in Aarey Colony instead of Kanjurmarg.
Shinde's predecessor Uddhav Thackeray had announced a stay on the construction of the proposed car shed in Aarey Colony, soon after he had become the chief minister in November 2019.
The plan to set up the car shed in Aarey Colony had faced opposition from environmental groups as it entailed cutting down hundreds of trees. The Thackeray government had later shifted the site to Kanjurmarg, but it is embroiled in a legal dispute.
During the cabinet meeting, Fadnavis also directed the state administration to revive the Jalyukt Shivar Scheme, which was discontinued by Thackeray on charges of corruption. This water conservation scheme was Fadnavis government's flagship programme.
Fadnavis asked the advocate general to represent the government's side of building the car shed in Aarey Colony. Officials in the urban development department said the matter is currently in the court and the next hearing will be held 15 days later. The advocate general was asked how can the project be shifted to Aarey Colony as the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government had proposed to shift the car shed to Kanjurmarg and designated Aarey Colony as a reserve forest, they said.
Fadnavis told the officials that the 33-km-long Colaba-Bandra-Seepz underground Metro project is getting delayed due to the court case.
The National Congress Party has objected to the new government's proposal to shift the Metro car shed to Aarey Colony.
In a tweet, NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto said, "With so many important issues that need to be looked into in Maharashtra, what does the new Dy. CM Devendra Fadnavis do? He proposes to move metro car shed back to Aarey. Recreating a problem solved by MVA Govt. Green lung of Mumbai in danger once again. What will he gain?"
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