Key points:
•The Centre and the Shiv Sena-led MVA government are locked in a tussle over ownership of the land earmarked by the state for metro carshed.
•Commenting on the issue in the state assembly on Tuesday, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had said, “Politics shouldn’t come in the way of the development of the city.”
The Centre and the Shiv Sena-led MVA government are locked in a tussle over ownership of the land earmarked by the state for constructing the car depot which was earlier planned at Aarey Colony, a green belt in Goregaon.
On Monday, the High Court had asked the Maharashtra government to consider withdrawing an order passed by the Mumbai suburban district collector allotting 102 acres of saltpan land at Kanjurmarg for construction of a Metro car shed.
Commenting on the issue in the state assembly on Tuesday, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had said, “Politics shouldn’t come in the way of the development of the city. More than ownership, what is important is how the project will bring benefit to people.”
The Union government had 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.
The Maharashtra government, however, opposed the plea and said the land, allotted to MMRDA for the Metro car shed, is owned by the state.
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.
