Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s announcement on Sunday that a planned metro car shed would be shifted from the Aarey forest ...
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s announcement on Sunday that a planned metro car shed would be shifted from the Aarey forest area in Mumbai’s western suburbs to a government plot in Kanjurmarg in the east drew criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Though Thackeray said that there was “zero cost” involved in changing the plan, BJP leader and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis warned of cost escalation of at least Rs 4,000 crore.
With Sunday’s announcement, Thackeray reversed the decision taken by the previous Fadnavis-led government. The Shiv Sena, a former ally of the BJP, has been vocal in its opposition to the construction of a metro car shed in Aarey since the beginning.
Fadnavis called the decision “unfortunate” and one taken to satisfy the Shiv Sena’s ego. “This decision will increase the cost of the project by at least Rs 4,000 crore and this cost escalation is assessed by the committee appointed by this government,” he claimed. “Why such a huge burden just to satisfy someone’s ego? Whom does government want to suffer and for what?”
In a series of tweets, the former Maharashtra chief minister said that the Kanjurmarg site was under litigation, adding that it was marshy land that will require at least two years...
