<p>In a major blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday put on temporary hold the Collector’s order transferring salt pan land at Kanjur Marg for construction of Mumbai Metro carshed.</p>.<p>Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had scrapped the carshed project initially planned at the Aarey Milk Colony and shifted to Kanjur Marg site.</p>.<p>A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni asked the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to maintain status quo on the land till the Centre’s plea claiming title rights over the property was heard.</p>.<p>The opposition BJP has asked Thackeray to leave ego and allow the carshed as per the original plan. The Maharashtra government may go in for an appeal in the Supreme Court.</p>.<p>Thackeray’s son and state Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray said, “The Bombay High Court has granted a stay to Kanjur Marg work. We await the detailed written order to decide the future course of action. This land is crucial for Metro Line 6, 4 and 14, apart from 3, as it will save almost Rs 5,500 crores of government and be a nodal point for 1 crore citizens.”</p>.<p>The Centre and State are locked in a battle for ownership of the land. The Salt Commissioner's office that reports to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Maharashtra government, both have been claiming the title of the 102-acre land at Kanjur Marg.</p>.<p>“They must leave ego and ensure that the projects come up in the place it was decided,” said Leader of Opposition and ex-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.</p>.<p>“The Chief Minister (Thackeray) must apologise,” said senior BJP leader Dr Kirit Somaiya.</p>.<p>It may be mentioned that the Thackeray father-son duo – even when the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Fadnavis was in power – were opposed to the carshed project inside the Aarey Milk Colony.</p>.<p>The Aarey Milk Colony is located in the periphery of the Sanjay Gandhi National Project.</p>.<p>In October 2019, after the Bombay High Court dismissed all petitions against the proposed axing of over 2,500 trees in the Aarey Colony, in an overnight operation, the Fadnavis government cut down nearly 1,500 trees leading to a string of protests in the city. The matter was taken to the Supreme Court, after which the apex court ordered that no tree would be axed.</p>.<p>As the protests against felling of trees intensified, the police arrested over 70 protesters and imposed section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in Aarey Colony and surrounding areas, restricting movements.</p>.<p>The Shiv Sena had declared that when it comes to power they would scrap the carshed project inside the forest.</p>.<p>The Aarey Milk Colony has a total area of 3,160 acres of land owned by the Dairy Development Department of the Maharashtra Government.</p>
<p>In a major blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday put on temporary hold the Collector’s order transferring salt pan land at Kanjur Marg for construction of Mumbai Metro carshed.</p>.<p>Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had scrapped the carshed project initially planned at the Aarey Milk Colony and shifted to Kanjur Marg site.</p>.<p>A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni asked the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to maintain status quo on the land till the Centre’s plea claiming title rights over the property was heard.</p>.<p>The opposition BJP has asked Thackeray to leave ego and allow the carshed as per the original plan. The Maharashtra government may go in for an appeal in the Supreme Court.</p>.<p>Thackeray’s son and state Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray said, “The Bombay High Court has granted a stay to Kanjur Marg work. We await the detailed written order to decide the future course of action. This land is crucial for Metro Line 6, 4 and 14, apart from 3, as it will save almost Rs 5,500 crores of government and be a nodal point for 1 crore citizens.”</p>.<p>The Centre and State are locked in a battle for ownership of the land. The Salt Commissioner's office that reports to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Maharashtra government, both have been claiming the title of the 102-acre land at Kanjur Marg.</p>.<p>“They must leave ego and ensure that the projects come up in the place it was decided,” said Leader of Opposition and ex-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.</p>.<p>“The Chief Minister (Thackeray) must apologise,” said senior BJP leader Dr Kirit Somaiya.</p>.<p>It may be mentioned that the Thackeray father-son duo – even when the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Fadnavis was in power – were opposed to the carshed project inside the Aarey Milk Colony.</p>.<p>The Aarey Milk Colony is located in the periphery of the Sanjay Gandhi National Project.</p>.<p>In October 2019, after the Bombay High Court dismissed all petitions against the proposed axing of over 2,500 trees in the Aarey Colony, in an overnight operation, the Fadnavis government cut down nearly 1,500 trees leading to a string of protests in the city. The matter was taken to the Supreme Court, after which the apex court ordered that no tree would be axed.</p>.<p>As the protests against felling of trees intensified, the police arrested over 70 protesters and imposed section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in Aarey Colony and surrounding areas, restricting movements.</p>.<p>The Shiv Sena had declared that when it comes to power they would scrap the carshed project inside the forest.</p>.<p>The Aarey Milk Colony has a total area of 3,160 acres of land owned by the Dairy Development Department of the Maharashtra Government.</p>