Centre objects to Metro-3 shed at Kanjurmarg, calls Maharashtra government decision as unilateral

In what is turning out to be another political tussle between the Central government and state, the former has objected to the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s

In what is turning out to be another political tussle between the Central government and state, the former has objected to the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s decision to construct the Metro-3 (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz) car shed at Kanjurmarg. While the state maintains the Centre has no claim upon the plot in question, the Centre has demanded work on the plot to stop and described the state’s decision as “improper and unilateral”.

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On October 12, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had announced that the Metro-3 car shed would be shifted from Aarey Milk Colony to a plot in Kanjurmarg. The car shed would be common to the underground Metro-3 and the overground Metro-6 (Swami Samarth Nagar-Vikhroli).

However, in a letter dated October 15, to the Maharashtra chief secretary, the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) stated the 102-acre plot for the car shed in Kanjurmarg was handed over by the state to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) “without following extant procedure”.

According to DPIIT, the Centre had filed a writ petition against several salt department lands — including the Kanjurmarg plot — and the decision is pending before Bombay high court. The letter — signed by Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, secretary, DPIIT — goes on to say, “The improper and unilateral action of the collector and MMRDA has caused severe loss to DPIIT. I would request you to take necessary steps and restrain MMRDA from taking any further steps and to direct [the] collector to withdraw the orders passed in this regard in order to protect the interests of the Government of India.”

However, state officials maintain the land belongs to the state government. “The divisional commissioner passed an order in 2018, handing over 49 plots, including the Kanjurmarg land, to the state as the salt department could not provide details of ownership. The order was also endorsed by the state revenue minister,” said a senior state official said, requesting anonymity. The official also added that there is no stay on the land parcel.

Barricading and soil testing are already underway at the Kanjurmarg plot.

DPIIT’s letter created a political storm on Tuesday. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashish Shelar said, “This is an ego battle where Mumbaiites will bear the loss. We had questioned the government on seeking approvals from the salt commissioner on the day it announced its decision.”

Senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya issued a press statement, in which he said MVA’s decision to shift the Metro-3 car shed will increase the project’s cost by ₹5,000 crore and extend the project’s deadline by five years. Somaiya also demanded the state release the report by the Manoj Saunik committee (appointed by MVA in December 2019), which advised against moving the car shed out of Aarey Milk Colony. “Despite filing multiple right-to-information queries, the government is not providing the report. The report must be released,” Somaiya said in his statement.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier tweeted that his government discarded the Kanjurmarg plot as an option because it was under litigation. However, Maharashtra environment minister Aaditya Thackeray said there was no ambiguity about the ownership of the plot and work at the Kanjurmarg site would continue. “The Kanjurmarg land allotted by the Collector to MMRDA for car depot of Metro has always been with govt of Maharashtra as per revenue records. The Collector, Mumbai Suburban, has done due diligence of all land records and all sub-judice matters in all competent courts,” he tweeted.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the salt department had not substantiated its claim on the plot in three years. “Now, after work has started at Kanjurmarg, they realised that the land belongs to them. This is not a coincidence. The Narendra Modi government is creating hurdles for the project,” he tweeted.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule said, “That land belongs to Maharashtra and the state is utilising it for development works. The Central government is constantly committing the sin of taking away a state’s right.”