Mumbai: High Court order on metro car shed sparks off debate over money

Soil testing on at the Kanjurmarg site of the car shed. File pic/Sameer Markande

Following the Bombay High Court's order to stay the metro car shed work at Kanjurmarg on Wednesday, the opposition and the government argued over the money the relocated project would save or lose.

Opposition leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Today's court decision is a slap in the face of the government. The Saunik committee appointed by this (MVA) government has said in its report that the Kanjurmarg site, if used for construction, would need extra expenditure of R5,000 cr and also cause a delay of 4.5 years," he said. "The government should read the report, accept the truth and shed its ego," said Fadnavis.

Environment minister Aaditya Thackeray said the government hadn't received the detailed court order and added that the Kanjurmarg site would save almost Rs 5,500 crore.

'Await detailed order'

"Hon'ble HC has granted a stay to Kanjurmarg work. We await the detailed written order to decide the future course of action. This land is crucial for Metro Line 6, 4 and 14, apart from 3, as it will save almost Rs 5500 crore of the government and be a nodal point for 1 crore citizens," tweeted Thackeray.

Fadnavis said the Saunik report had also said that the construction at Kanjurmarg would affect the environment. "The SC had cleared the Aarey site, and it could help us start Metro3 by 2021. We will not criticise the government if it resumes work at Aarey," he added.

"Some bureaucrats, who realised the CM had taken the decision because of ego, briefed him incorrectly. Construction will have to be done at Aarey even if the car shed is shifted to Kanjurmarg. So, why can't we have a car shed at Aarey? Forget about our win or their win. We want Mumbaikars to win," he said.

Staying the work, the high court has admitted the Centre's petition claiming it owns Kanjurmarg land and the state transferred the land to the metro corporation without its consent. A private developer has also staked his claim to part of the land which his family had leased from the government.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant claimed that the Centre had started the process to transfer the Kanjurmarg land for Metro 6 to the state in July, but later changed the stance in the court. "Union minister Piyush Goyal had asked the commerce ministry to get the land measured from the Salt Department. But then the government moved court because BJP is upset that the MVA would be doing good work," he said. Sawant produced a letter that instructed the land for Metro 6 be measured. "The BJP hasn't proved that the state would have to pay R5,000 cr to a private person. No such thing was mentioned in high court. Fadnavis should respond to this," he added.

He said the Fadnavis government had decided to use the Kanjurmarg site for the car shed of Metro 3 and Metro 6. "Metro 3 is a joint project of the Centre and state. Ideally, the Centre should have transferred the land on its own. The Salt Department has already given the BMC part of saltpan land for dumping ground. The Fadnavis government wanted to construct low-cost housing on the same land and a developer had proposed to build one lakh affordable homes there. Can anyone explain this?" said Sawant.

Rs 5k
Extra cost (in cr) BJP says the Kanjurmarg site will incur

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