'Shifting Metro car shed from Aarey will spike cost by Rs 4,000 crore'

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis. Pic/AFP

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government's decision to relocate metro car shed project from the city's lung in Aarey Colony to Kanjurmarg in Mumbai was "unfortunate".

The former chief minister also said this decision was taken only to satisfy someone's ego which will escalate the cost of the project by at least Rs 4,000 crore.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced the scrapping of the Aarey metro car shed and said the project will now be shifted to a government land in suburban Kanjurmarg and that no cost will be incurred for the purpose.

"Unfortunate decision to shift Metro Car Shed from Aarey to Kanjurmarg and that too just to satisfy ego. This decision will increase the cost of the project by at least Rs 4,000 crore and this cost escalation is assessed by the committee appointed by this Government," tweeted Fadnavis during whose tenure the work on the car shed began.

"Why such a huge burden just to satisfy someone's ego? Whom does government want to suffer and for what?," he asked.

Ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP's former ally Shiv Sena had opposed the project claiming it would harm the environment in the city's prominent green colony.

Devendra Fadnavis tweeted that the Kanjurmarg site was earlier considered by his government, but it was under litigation and stayed by the high court.

"Some private individuals claimed their rights. The stay was requested to be withdrawn. The High Court wanted the amount to be deposited if the claims got settled in future. This amount was around Rs 2,400 crore in 2015. What is the status of that case today? And if someone moves the Supreme Court, who will be responsible for the delay?" the leader of opposition in the Legislative Assembly asked.

Fadnavis further said since the site in Kanjurmarg is a marshy land, it will require at least two years to stabilise it.

"In addition to this, all the previous tenders will have to be scraped and a new process will have to be followed. No DPR or feasibility report has been made for this site. This means that the Metro project, which would have been in the service of Mumbaikars just next year, has now been postponed indefinitely. Rs 400 crore was already spent for Aarey Car Shed, Rs 1,300 crore wasted due to staying of project and additional cost escalation of Rs 4,000 crore?" he asked in another tweet.

Devendra Fadnavis questioned the government's "motive" behind "blocking the seamless journey of Mumbaikars" and alleged that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government is misleading Mumbaikars.

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