04 September,2020 07:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Dharmendra Jore
The state government on Wednesday announced its decision to preserve 600 acres of Aarey land as protected forest. Pic/ Satej Shinde
A day after the state government decided to notify 600 acres of Aarey land as a forest and paved the way for shifting the Metro car shed elsewhere, opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis claimed the development will benefit some private individuals.
Devendra Fadnavis
Speaking to media persons on Thursday, Fadnavis said that it would be wrong to hand over the Aarey land, where a car depot was being built, to the forest department, because the government wants to acquire [buy] land [for an alternative Metro site] from some private individuals.
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"Car shed project was cleared by the Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court. now, the Metro-III project will be delayed further and the people of Mumbai will bear its escalated cost," he said, adding that he would reveal the names of the beneficiaries at an appropriate time.
He said marking a seamless forest area would be a difficult task because of human habitat and several government establishments on the Aarey land.
Now stalled by the Uddhav Thackeray government, the Metro car depot is expected to be built at an alternative site.
As the controversy proceeded in the court of law, activists produced documents to prove that Aarey colony wasn't a revenue land, but indeed an unclassed forest in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), which was transferred to the forest department at least 50 years ago. However, the forest department had rejected the claim saying that the old records were not available.
Also Read: Mumbai: Aarey is a forest, admits government; greens welcome move
The same forest department, now headed by a Shiv Sena minister, will get the legal control of the 600 acres after public hearing and verifying the claims of the occupants.
Originally, in 1949, 3,100 acres were allotted for the purpose of dairy development and Aarey Colony. Later, several government projects such as Film City, police establishments, veterinary college, bakery and dairy consumed about 1,200 acres. The land also houses 27 Adivasi hamlets.
The piece of green cover to be reserved will primarily be bordering SGNP.
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