Mumbai, December 16: In a setback to the Maharashtra government, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority or MMRDA to hold construction of a Metro car shed in Kanjurmag. The Bombay High Court stayed the construction of the metro car shed in Kanjurmarg due to ongoing ownership tussle between the Centre and the Maharashtra government over the land allotted to MMRDA. Consider Withdrawing Order on Metro Car Shed Land: HC to Maharashtra.

The previous BJP-led government had decided to construct the car shed, part of Mumbai Metro line 3, at Aarey Colony. This had led to protests by environmentalists who opposed felling of trees for the Metro car shed construction. Shiv Sena had supported the environmentalists on the issue. The present Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, led by the Shiv Sena and supported by the NCP and the Congress, on assuming office in November last year, decided to shift the car shed from Aarey Colony to Kanjurmarg. Aarey Colony Tree Felling For Metro Car-Shed: Start Procedure to Withdraw Cases Against Protesters, CM Uddhav Thackeray Directs Home Department.

The Uddhav Thackeray government allotted 102 acres of saltpan land at Kanjurmarg for construction of an integrated metro car shed for lines 3, 4, 4A and 6, instead of building separate depots for these corridors. The Centre then filed a petition in the high court challenging the October 1, 2020, order passed by the Collector allotting the land for construction of the car shed, and said the land belongs to its (the Centre) salt department.

Opposing the Centre's plea, the Maharashtra government said the land, allotted to the MMRDA for the Metro car shed, is owned by the state. However, a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni was of prime facie opinion that the Collector should give a fresh hearing to all parties concerned and settle issues related to land title ownership.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 16, 2020 12:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).