Controversy over the proposed Metro car shed in Aarey Colony area here today continued, with the Congress producing a suburban district collector's letter 'confirming' that the land belongs to the Forest Department.
The BJP-led Maharashtra government's stand is that the land where the car shed is proposed belongs to the Dairy Development Board.
Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam had yesterday alleged that the government was going to allow Rs 18,000 crore-worth commercial/residential development on or near the land earmarked for the car shed of Metro Phase 3.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' office had refuted the claim, saying there would be no commercial development.
Nirupam today came out with more documents supporting his claim. "The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL) on December 16, 2015 wrote to Mumbai suburban collector, seeking FSI of three for three hectares of land near Aarey Colony. The collector asked the MMRCL to obtain a permission from union environment ministry. This clearly means the land belongs to the Forest Department," he argued.
Also, if the land won't be used for commercial or residential purpose, "why MMRCL's documents show that there will be metro car shed as well as commercial and residential development," Nirupam asked.
2034 development plan report of the Mumbai civic body shows this area as a forest land, he said.
"RTI queries found that a large chunk of Aarey Milk Colony land was transferred to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park on July 22, 1980. It means the land belongs to Sanjay Gandhi National Park and it comes under Forest Department," he said.
The BJP-led government was keen on Aarey Colony area for Metro car shed and not alternative sites, because this is the only area where commercial and residential development can take place near the Metro car shed, Nirupam alleged.
The BJP today dismissed Nirupam's allegations as an attempt to gain popularity.
Madhav Bhandari, chief spokesperson of Maharashtra BJP, said, "Commercial and residential development near Metro car shed was the plan of the previous (Congress-led) government. It was based on a government resolution issued on March 3, 2014, and there is no need to say who was in power then. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has been completely opposed to any kind of commercial or residential development near the proposed Metro car-shed.
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