Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday reported the relocation of the metro car shed project in Aarey, which has been at the focal point of a tempest since October a year ago, and also said that cases against activists who protested against the felling of trees for the project had been withdrawn.
Tending to the state through a virtual meet, Thackeray said the undertaking would now be moved to an administration land in Kanjurmarg. “The Aarey car shed will be moved to Kanjurmarg. We have allotted government land for the car shed for Rs 0. We won’t spend a single rupee for acquiring this land,” he said.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) had started cutting off trees at Aarey state on October 25 a year ago to develop a vehicle shed for the Rs 32,000 crore underground Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro hallway. A few activists, who had assembled at the spot to dissent, were confined by the police. A FIR was enlisted against 29 individuals. After he was confirmed as Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray had put a stay on the work on the vehicle shed.
Thackeray said the structure that had come up in Aarey woods would be used for some other public purpose. “About Rs 100 crore expenditure was caused for the reason and it won’t go squander,” he said.
In excess of 800 sections of land of Aarey land, adjoining Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), has just been announced as reserve forests — 200 acres of land more than the 600 acres of land proposed before. As indicated by the arrangements of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, when this region is pronounced as reserve forests, the land gets inaccessible for development.
Aaditya Thackeray, who has vociferously challenged the proposed vehicle shed, tweeted, “Aarey Saved”. Former chief minister and Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis recently said the state government’s plan to relocate Metro 3 car shed from Aarey was a reflection of the wrong policy.