In a tongue-in-cheek take on Shiv Sena, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday told in the Legislative Council that “original Mumbaikars” would not oppose metro carshed at Aarey Colony.
In a tongue-in-cheek take on Shiv Sena, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday told in the Legislative Council that “original Mumbaikars” would not oppose metro carshed at Aarey Colony. The CM said he was a Nagpurkar and would go back to his hometown after retirement. But he wanted to do something memorable for Mumbai and hoped for full co-operation from the “original Mumbaikars”. Shiv Sena has opposed the carshed at Aarey Colony, citing environmental concerns.
The CM was speaking in the Legislative Council on the vote of thanks on the governor’s speech. He presented a list of projects that were stuck during the previous Congress-NCP regime and his government got all the clearances for those projects within a year. One of the projects was the Metro project for which a car shed has been proposed at Aarey Colony. The Shiv Sena is opposing the carshed as many trees at the site will have to be cut.
When the Congress and NCP legislators pointed out to the CM that even though he claims to have got all the clearances, BJP’s alliance partner Shiv Sena has disapproved the car shed.
“It is not my personal Metro. I am from Nagpur and I will go back to Nagpur after I retire. But those who are “original Mumbaikars” and will be spending their entire life here should help me. I want to do a memorable job for Mumbai so that when I leave, all Mumbaikars will remember that a Nagpurkar did it for the city,” Mr Fadnavis said, inviting a few chuckles from the Congress and NCP legislators.
Further explaining the issue, Mr Fadnavis said that around 350 trees would need to be cut to construct a Metro car shed on the proposed site. “None of these trees are endangered. We will replant them elsewhere. We have another option of moving the car shed 1.5 kilometres further from the proposed site. But it is a marshy land and building a car shed there will increase the project cost by Rs 1,500 crore. We can all come together and decide which option to chose. It is not my personal Metro and all of us, including the Opposition can take a decision acceptable to all of us. The original Mumbaikars will understand the issue and help the government in that,” the CM said.
