New row over Metro carshed site flares up between Centre, Maharashtra

Environment and Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray

A fresh row has erupted between the Centre and Maharashtra government on Tuesday over the latter's decision to shift the Mumbai Metro carshed project from Aarey Colony to the Kanjurmarg site.

The Centre's Department of Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) has written to the state government, saying the construction of the carshed on the Kanjurmarg site would be "against the interest of the Government of India", and claimed ownership of the 102 acre land here.

DPIIT Secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra said in his October 15 letter that "the improper and unilateral action of the Mumbai Suburban District Collector and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has "caused severe loss" to the DPIIT.

"I would request you to take necessary steps and to direct the Collector to withdraw the orders passed in this regard in order to protect the interests of the Government of India," he said.

In a widely-hailed move, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on October 11 had announced the shifting of the Metro carshed project from Aarey Colony to the Kanjurmarg land though the opposition BJP slammed the decision.

However, even in wake of the Centre's letter, the Maharashtra government has made it clear that it would not stop the carshed work in Kanjurmarg even as the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress slammed the move, while the BJP came out in support of the Centre on the issue.

Environment and Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray has reiterated that the land belongs to the state government and Shiv Sena Mayor Kishori Pednekar alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched against the state.

She said that an affidavit was filed in Bombay High Court during the tenure of the previous BJP-led government, saying that the Kanjurmarg land belongs to the state government.

However, now if the Centre is claiming ownership on the land, does it mean that the title of the land changes with the change in the Chief Minister, Pednekar asked.

Attacking the Centre, NCP Spokesperson and Minister Nawab Malik said that way back in 2002, the Centre had transferred large tracts of salt-pan lands to the state government.

"First the BJP said it belonged to private owners, now they say it belongs to the Central government... The BJP is only creating hurdles in the work of Mumbai Metro carshed. It's the BJP's conspiracy to stop the Metro project," he alleged.

NCP MP Supriya Sule said this was an injustice to the state with the BJP destroying the country's "cooperative federal structure" and "the country is now lapsing into an undeclared state of Emergency".

Condemning the Centre's new diktat, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that since 1981, the land ownership is with the state government and accused Narendra Modi-led BJP of "continuously creating obstacles" for the MVA government.

Congress leader and Mumbai Guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh wondered know why the state BJP never raised the issue of land ownership during its five-year tenure (2014-2019) and it was being raked up now when the MVA government was trying to implement the Metro rail project.

On the other hand, BJP leaders Ashish Shelar, Kirit Somaiya and Ram Kadam targetted the MVA government, accusing it of "telling lies" to the public on the ownership of the Kanjurmarg land.

"The three parties' government has a new style of governance - put development projects in a limbo, then stop them and later misguide. This is the fate of Metro carshed also," Shelar said.

Last month, senior Sena leader and Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM) President Kishore Tiwari had accused Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis of violating the "oath of office" taken as Chief Minister by disclosing sensitive information in public which could instigate unnecessary litigations.

Tiwari further contended that Fadnavis was attempting to protect the interests of at least "three top builders" in Mumbai who are eyeing the Kanjurmarg land which could be worth around Rs 1 lakh crore and demanded a probe into the matter by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.

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