BackAarey case: Metro car shed to be relocated to Kanjurmarg, says Uddhav
In a webcast, Thackeray says the project will be shifted and no cost will be incurred for the purposeThackeray adds the government had earlier declared 600 acre of Aarey land as forest but now it has been revised to 800 acre
PremiumAmid the protests by citizens and environmentalists against the Aarey project and felling of trees, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that the government is now shifting the metro car shed project from Aarey Colony to Kanjurmarg in Mumbai.
In a webcast, Thackeray said the project will be shifted to a government land in Kanjurmarg and no cost will be incurred for the purpose. "The land will be available at zero rate," he said.
He said the building which has come up in Aarey forest will be utilised for some other public purpose. "About ₹100 crore expenditure was incurred for the purpose and it won't go waste," he said.
Thackeray said the government had earlier declared 600 acre of Aarey land as forest but now it has been revised to 800 acre. There will be no infringement on rights of tribals in the Aarey forest, he added.
"Biodiversity in Aarey needs to be to conserved and protected. Nowhere is there an 800-acre jungle in an urban set up. Mumbai has a natural forest cover," he said.
Later in the day, the locals celebrated in Mumbai over Uddhav-led governmet's decision to shift the proposed car shed from Aarey to Kanjur Marg by dancing to drum beats in a circle.
The move to relocate the car shed from Aarey came amid reports that the state government was considering if two of the upcoming Metro lines could share maintenance facility.
The government had appointed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to prepare a feasibility study on Metro 3 (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz) sharing its car shed with Line 6 (Vikhroli-Lokhandwala).
There were also reports that Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd officials had expressed apprehension that the Metro Line 3 project may be delayed by three years and its cost may go up by over ₹2,000 crore if the car shed for the line was shifted from Aarey Colony.
However, last month, Uddhav had directed the state Home department to withdraw cases registered against the protestors last year for opposing felling of trees for a proposed metro car shed in Aarey Colony, one of the prime green lungs of the city.
The decision was taken at the state cabinet meeting.
A tweet from the Chief Minister's office said Thackeray has directed the state home department to begin the process of withdrawing the cases.
The request for withdrawal of cases was made at the cabinet meeting by state Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray, which was supported by deputy CM Ajit Pawar and other ministers.
Uddhav Thackeray had announced withdrawal of cases against green activists last December, days after he took oath as chief minister.
Cases were registered after clashes broke out between the police and green activists opposing axing of trees by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) in Aarey Colony last October for construction of a metro car shed for the Metro-3 line.
Police had booked at least 38 protesters under IPC sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty) and 143 (unlawful assembly).
The CM had asked the Mumbai Metro and MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) officials to examine whether the proposed metro car shed can be shifted to Pahadi Goregaon area near Oshiwara.
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