Kanjurmarg land belongs to the state government only, there was never any claim over it.
BJP misguided Mumbaikars over the issue
Mumbai, November 6
The BJP and the previous Fadnavis government misguided Mumbaikars regarding the issue of the Metro carshed at Aarey. The manner in which the previous Fadnavis government deliberately lied to Mumbaikars is shocking and condemnable. The plan to shift the carshed from Aarey to Kanjurmarg was made by the Fadnavis government itself. The land belongs to the state government and there is no dispute over the land whatsoever and never was. Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant has accused the BJP of misleading Mumbaikars and betraying them on this issue. He also hinted that a more serious issue regarding this would be made public by him in his next press conference. Speaking on the issue Sawant further said that when the Aaghadi government decided to shift the Metro Carshed to Kanjurmarg, all of a sudden after two years the salt department tried to stake claim on the land. However, the salt department could not provide any proof showing that the land does not belong to the state government and belongs to them. The orders in this regard were given by the District Collector in 2014, Divisional Commissioner in 2015 and even the former Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil in 2018. Also, in the plan submitted by the administration in 2015, it was clearly written that there is no dispute over this 102 acre land. It was the opinion of the Fadnavis government that the car shed of Metro 3 should be in Kanjurmarg only and the step taken by the Mahavikas Aghadi government today was the plan of the Fadnavis government itself. Giving evidence in this regard, Sawant said that Ashwini Bhide had written a letter, dated 22-09-2015, to the Mumbai Suburban District Collector seeking land in Kanjurmarg for Metro Car depot and other works, which stated that the land in Kanjurmarg is the most suitable for Metro 3 project and without that the project could be completed. An affidavit was filed in the High Court by the state government in 2016 on this issue. The state government had appointed an expert committee on March 11, 2015. The committee gave its final report on 12 August 2015 that the main depot of Metro 3 should be connected to the then Metro 6 in Kanjurmarg. This means that the location of Kanjurmarg was important and it is clear that it was in the plan.The Metro 6 car depot was already to be located in Kanjurmarg. Metro 6 has been demanding 102 acres of land for casting depot since 2018, but why was it delayed? Even though this land has been in the possession of the state government since 2015, why was it not given? To date, the site has not been allotted to Metro 6. Meanwhile, DMRC twice issued and canceled tenders for depot entry ramp in Kanjurmarg in 2018. If there was a problem with the land, how was the tender issued? Sawant raised these questions. This means that the Fadnavis government was lying on the issue all this while. The Fadnavis government feared that the Aarey protesters would be furious and would ask why Metro 3 could not be built if Metro 6 was to be set up in Kanjurmarg. That is why this land was not allotted. Fadnavis was constantly lying that moving the Metro car shed to Kanjurmarg would cost Rs 5,000 crore more and would have to be paid to a private individual. If the car depot of Metro 6 was planned to come up in Kanjurmarg, then why not Metro 3? If it could happen today, then why couldn’t it happen earlier and what was the reason for the sudden change to make a car shed in Aarey. Why this land was not given since 2015? Fadnavis should answer these questions.Today, Metro 3, Metro 4, Metro 6 and Metro 14 will have a single car shed that will be built on the state government’s own land, which will save a lot of money. Despite having a clear land, the Fadnavis government hurt the feelings of Mumbaikars by hacking trees in Aarey, said Sawant. Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Ramkisan Ojha and Yashwant Happe were also present at today’s press conference.
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