News Analysis India

Tag: Mumbai Metro

  • Maharashtra paves way for Metro car shed at Mumbai’s Aarey site, lifts 2019 stay

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: In an important decision, the new government in Maharashtra on Thursday announced lifting of the stay on the construction of Mumbai Metro-3 car shed at the controversial site in the Aarey Colony, a green belt in the western suburbs.

    The move came a day after Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, at a meeting with Consul General of Japan in Mumbai Fukahori Yasukata, assured him of fast-tracking Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded projects, which include the Mumbai Metro’s Line 3.

    Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis announced lifting of the stay on the construction of Metro-3 car shed in the Aarey Colony in suburban Goregaon, reversing a decision taken by the previous Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and one which will surely invite criticism from environmental groups and some political parties.

    Just before the 2019 Assembly elections, the proposed car shed in the wooded area had widened the gap between the then-ruling allies Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena.

    The Shiv Sena had bitterly opposed the Aarey car shed project and demanded relocation of the depot at a site in the eastern suburb of Kanjurmarg, whose ownership was later claimed by a private party as well as the salt commissioner of India.

    Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, on becoming chief minister in November 2019, had ordered a stay on the car shed construction in the Aarey Colony, and the ligitation over the Kanjurmag site stalled the entire project for the next two-and-a-half years.

    READ HERE | Activists, parties hold protest against move to construct Metro car shed at Aarey

    After Shinde and Fadnavis took oath on June 30, the latter made it clear the new government wants the Metro-3 car shed back in the Aarey Colony site and now relevant orders have been given to the state Urban Development Department.

    Fadnavis said, “The Supreme Court has already given permission for the construction of Metro-3 car shed at the Aarey site. Despite this, if some environmentalists still want to oppose the construction of the car shed, then their intentions would come under suspicion.” The chief minister highlighted benefits of the 33.5km-long Line 3 of Mumbai Metro, which will connect Colaba in south Mumbai to SEEPZ (Andheri) in the suburbs.

    Shinde said, “One must understand that once the Metro-3 line becomes operational, it would carry 17 passengers on a daily basis. The entire project is funded by the JICA and any further delay in its completion could have affected the other big-ticket projects as well.”

    Asked about then-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to put a stay on the controversial project, Fadnavis said, “It was sheer ego and nothing else.”

    “Thackeray, after becoming the chief minister, appointed a committee headed by then-additional chief secretary (finance) Manoj Saunik. The committee had recommended that the Metro-3 car shed be constructed at the Aarey site instead the land parcel available at Kanjurmarg. Thackeray set aside the recommendation and stayed any further construction at the Aarey site,” he said.

    Fadnavis said the Aarey Colony site was finalised when the Congress-NCP combine was in power in the state.

    “One should not forget that the Aarey site was finalized by then-chief minister Prithviraj Chavan when the Congress and the NCP were in power. Post-2014, the BJP-Sena government only availed international loan for it and started implementing the project,” Fadnavis said.

    MUMBAI: In an important decision, the new government in Maharashtra on Thursday announced lifting of the stay on the construction of Mumbai Metro-3 car shed at the controversial site in the Aarey Colony, a green belt in the western suburbs.

    The move came a day after Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, at a meeting with Consul General of Japan in Mumbai Fukahori Yasukata, assured him of fast-tracking Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded projects, which include the Mumbai Metro’s Line 3.

    Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis announced lifting of the stay on the construction of Metro-3 car shed in the Aarey Colony in suburban Goregaon, reversing a decision taken by the previous Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and one which will surely invite criticism from environmental groups and some political parties.

    Just before the 2019 Assembly elections, the proposed car shed in the wooded area had widened the gap between the then-ruling allies Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena.

    The Shiv Sena had bitterly opposed the Aarey car shed project and demanded relocation of the depot at a site in the eastern suburb of Kanjurmarg, whose ownership was later claimed by a private party as well as the salt commissioner of India.

    Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, on becoming chief minister in November 2019, had ordered a stay on the car shed construction in the Aarey Colony, and the ligitation over the Kanjurmag site stalled the entire project for the next two-and-a-half years.

    READ HERE | Activists, parties hold protest against move to construct Metro car shed at Aarey

    After Shinde and Fadnavis took oath on June 30, the latter made it clear the new government wants the Metro-3 car shed back in the Aarey Colony site and now relevant orders have been given to the state Urban Development Department.

    Fadnavis said, “The Supreme Court has already given permission for the construction of Metro-3 car shed at the Aarey site. Despite this, if some environmentalists still want to oppose the construction of the car shed, then their intentions would come under suspicion.” The chief minister highlighted benefits of the 33.5km-long Line 3 of Mumbai Metro, which will connect Colaba in south Mumbai to SEEPZ (Andheri) in the suburbs.

    Shinde said, “One must understand that once the Metro-3 line becomes operational, it would carry 17 passengers on a daily basis. The entire project is funded by the JICA and any further delay in its completion could have affected the other big-ticket projects as well.”

    Asked about then-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to put a stay on the controversial project, Fadnavis said, “It was sheer ego and nothing else.”

    “Thackeray, after becoming the chief minister, appointed a committee headed by then-additional chief secretary (finance) Manoj Saunik. The committee had recommended that the Metro-3 car shed be constructed at the Aarey site instead the land parcel available at Kanjurmarg. Thackeray set aside the recommendation and stayed any further construction at the Aarey site,” he said.

    Fadnavis said the Aarey Colony site was finalised when the Congress-NCP combine was in power in the state.

    “One should not forget that the Aarey site was finalized by then-chief minister Prithviraj Chavan when the Congress and the NCP were in power. Post-2014, the BJP-Sena government only availed international loan for it and started implementing the project,” Fadnavis said.

  • Centre insists on Aarey land for Mumbai metro work

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI:  A fresh round of tussle has broken out between the Maharashtra government and the Centre over the latter’s refusal to hand over a parcel of land under its control for constructing a shed for the Mumbai Metro. 

    The Union Ministry for Housing and Urban Affairs wrote to Maharashtra chief secretary stating that the state should develop the Metro Line-3 shed at Aarey Colony only. Earlier, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state had changed the site of proposed shed from Aarey to Kanjur Marg after protests by environmentalists, Shiv Sena activits and public who feared damage to the local ecology as the area has thick greenery. 

    The Centre has stated that it would not be feasible to develop the car shed at Kanjur Marg owing to operational difficulties, and financial and legal issues. “Relocation of the shed from Aarey to Kanjur Marg will cause major escalations of the cost, infrastructure and impact, and therefore a decision should taken duly considering long term viability and sustainability,” read the letter. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had earlier alleged the Centre was not cooperating with the state by handing over the Kanjur Marg land. 

  • BJP , Shiv Sena duel in Lok Sabha over Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, metro projects

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Lok Sabha proceedings on Wednesday saw verbal duels between BJP and Shiv Sena, who accused each other of non-cooperation over important infrastructure initiatives like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and Mumbai Metro project in Maharashtra. 

    While Railway Minister Piyush Goyal charged the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government of stalling the bullet train project, the Shiv Sena accused the Centre of not cooperating with the state dispensation over the Metro car shed project.

    Goyal said it was because of the “ego” of the state government that the car shed issue remains unsolved.

    After the formation of the MVA government, the Shiv Sena changed the Metro car shed site from Aarey to Kanjur.

    The Kanjur land belongs to the Centre.

    Arguments began during Question Hour when Shiv Sena MP Prataprao Jadhav asked whether there are any plans to run a bullet train between Mumbai and Nagpur. Goyal said: “Decisions were taken swiftly and work also started on it rapidly. World’s best technology was brought to India. But I am pained that since the new government was formed in Maharashtra, there is a sort of full-stop to the work,” Goyal said.

    Goyal also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly desires that the country has an advanced technology, railways run faster and people get world class facilities.

    For the same purpose, work on a high-speed railway line between Mumbai and Ahmedabad was being undertaken.

    The minister said the land acquisition started at a fast pace and 95 per cent land of land under the jurisdiction of Gujarat has been acquired.

    Land from Dadra Nagar Haveli too has been acquired.

    He said there is still hardly any progress on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train after the new government came to power in 2019.

    He said only 24 per cent of land required for the work under the jurisdiction of Maharashtra has been acquired.

    “The work on high-speed railway is not progressing in Maharashtra. The work in Gujarat is moving at fast pace but it has stopped in Maharashtra,” he said.

    Replying to a question on the same issue by Manoj Kotak, BJP MP from Northeast Mumbai, Goyal said even the land from where the bullet train is to start from Mumbai has not been handed over to Centre.

    “The member (Jadhav) desires that a high-speed railway should run between Mumbai to Nagpur. Who desires it more than myself. I hail from Mumbai, was born and brought up there. Prime Minister’s dream is to have a high-speed railway but for that my pain is the Maharashtra government has hindered the progress of the project.”

    “In such a case how can there be a railway between Mumbai and Nagpur. It’s beyond my understanding,” Goyal said.

    Shiv Sena MP Jadhav said the reason why people of Maharashtra oppose the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train is they feel this is a ploy to shift big businesses to Gujarat.

    To this, Arvind Sawant, another Shiv Sena member and a former Cabinet minister till he resigned after his party parted ways with the BJP to join hands with Congress and NCP to form the MVA government, accused Goyal of lying.

    “We always speak truth. The job to lie is of leaders for the post of chief minister,” Goyal said alluding to Thackeray.

    “I don’t know what the leaders desire. They don’t cooperate with us even for developmental work,” he said.

    Goyal asked Jadhav to put pressure on the Maharashtra government for cooperation from its end.

    Hitting back, Jadhav said the reason why people of Maharashtra oppose the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train is because they feel “this is a ploy” to shift all big businesses to Gujarat.

    “Even before this all corporate offices, government offices have moved out of Mumbai. This is a ploy of the Centre to reduce the importance of Mumbai,” he said.

    Rubbishing the charge, Goyal said when the BJP-led government was in Maharashtra from 2014-19, there was no flight of businesses from Maharashtra to any other state.

    “Yes, but looking at the condition prevailing today, the work it has done and also the way it has failed in COVID management and running the government with taints of corruption. In such a scenario if people (business) leave Mumbai, then who is responsible,” he said.

    “The line which has already been decided, for which Maharashtra has already given its approval, if there is no cooperation even on that then what attitude it will adopt for future lines,” Goyal said.

    To this, Sawant, who represents Mumbai South constituency, accused the minister of “speaking half-truth”.

    Sawant said the state government has to receive Rs 1 lakh crore from the Centre.

    “You will not give that (Kanjur) land. You have kept mum on the land for Metro car shed.

    He said the Centre was not cooperating with the state government by giving its land for the Metro car shed project,” he said.

    “It (that the Centre has to give Rs 1 lakh crore to Maharashtra) is baseless. I will give the details of how much money Maharashtra government has to pay the Centre. Just because there is no cooperation many of the projects have been hit,” Goyal said.

    (With PTI Inputs)