MMRDA seeks Bombay High Court's nod for Metro car shed work at Kanjurmarg

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority MMRDA has approached the Bombay High Court seeking permission to carry out work pertaining to construction of an integrated car shed for Metro lines 3 4 and 6 at the disputed site in suburban KanjurmargOn Tuesday when the Centres petition in connection with the case came up for hearing before a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni MMRDAs lawyer Saket Mone informed the court about the application filed last month by the project implementing authorityThe court said it would hear the entire case finally on March 12The MMRDA in its application said without the construction of the car shed Metro lines 3 ColabaBandra SEEPZ 4 KasarwadavaliWadala and 6 LokhandwalaVikhroli cannot be commissioned and made available for the use of publicApart from problems caused to the public the delay would also result in financial loss to the MMRDA it saidThe MMRDA which is the Metro project implementing authority sought modification of the December 16 2020 order passed by the HC restraining authorities from carrying out any construction work pertaining to the car shed at the said landThe high court had granted an interim stay on the October 1 2020 order passed by the Mumbai suburban district collector allotting 102 acres of land in Kanjurmarg to the MMRDA for construction of an integrated car shedThe Centre and the Maharashtra 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 suburban GoregaonLast year the Centre had filed a petition in the HC challenging the collectors order and said the land at Kanjurmarg belongs to its Salt DepartmentThe high court while staying the collectors order and restraining authorities from carrying out any construction work at the land had said it would take up the matter for final hearing and decide on the ownership issueThe MMRDA in its application said it is seeking directions to allow it to carry on with the work of the Metro car shed which is the heart and soul of the Metro networkThe project implementing authority also said before the stay order was passed it had already provisioned Rs 27 crore towards carrying out preliminary work like soil testing landfilling and so on at the siteAs per the MMRDAs application after the HCs order in December last year the Maharashtra government reassessed the viability and sustainability of the land at Kanjurmarg for construction of the Metro car shed and it was found to be best suited for the sameThe said land at Kanjurmarg offers a unique geographical topographical and locational advantage in as much as that as many as four lines of the Mumbai Metro rail can be serviced by an integrated car shed This advantage cannot be found in any alternative site the MMRDA saidThe plan to shift the car shed from Aarey in suburban Goregaon to Kanjurmarg was to help save the forest at Aarey and also to avoid environmental damage it saidThe MMRDA in its application said it has at no time attempted to claim title in the form of ownership on the landThe MMRDA is ready and willing to undertake to give all benefits and compensation to which the owner andor the lessee would be entitled on acquisition of the said land to whomsoever may be the successful party in the dispute the application saidThe issue of ownership of land between the Centre and the state government can be resolved in an appropriate manner through proper mechanism and proceedings it saidBoth the parties have recognised the need for the Metro car shed and have expressed their willingness to give the said land to the MMRDA the application addedIt mentioned that one Mahesh Garodia claims to have an interest in the land as a lesseeNo prejudice would be caused to Garodia in the event the MMRDA is permitted to utilise the land for the project in view of the undertaking given by the MMRDA to give all benefits and compensation to which the owner andor lessee would be entitled to on acquisition of the land it saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever