The Congress on Tuesday, December 22, alleged that the previous BJP-led government in Maharashtra had finalised the Kanjurmarg site in the city for Metro-6 car shed but now it has changed its stand.
The Maharashtra Congress leader Sachin Sawant released the documents which indicated that the state revenue department, then headed by BJP’s current Maharashtra unit president Chandrakant Patil, had on June 11, 2019, formed a committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Manoj Saunik to study the private developer’s proposal of building 1 lakh houses on the land.
While speaking to reporters, Sachin Sawant said, "The Devendra Fadnavis government had decided on the same site in Kanjurmarg for car depot of Metro-6 corridor. It is clearly mentioned in the DPR (detailed project report). The work of Metro 6 had started in 2017-18."
The BJP-led government did not change the DPR nor did it look for more suitable site then, he said. "This 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 Uddhav Thackeray government has cited Patil’s 2018 order while allotting the 102-acre land to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for building an integrated car shed for the underground Mumbai Metro 3 and 6 lines and two other proposed corridors.
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.
However, the BJP, which has criticised the Shiv Sena-led MVA government's, along with NCP and Congress, decision to shift the site of car shed for Mumbai Metro phase 3 from Aarey Colony to Kanjurmarg have dismissed the claim.
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? asked Upadhye.
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. Later, the present Sena-led government decided to shift the site to Kanjurmarg.
On December 16, the Bombay High Court stayed the order passed by Mumbai suburban district collector allotting 102 acres of saltpan land in Kanjurmarg for integrated metro car shed as the Central government contended that it owns this land.
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