CM Fadnavis questions Aarey objections

Mumbai: Hinting that people with vested interests were trying to stall the Metro project, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday claimed that out of 13,000 objections received against the setting up of a car depot for the Metro 3 line at Aarey Colony, 10,000 were from “one Bengaluru-based website.”

Mr Fadnavis also said that the plot on which the proposed depot will come up is government-owned and not a forest area. Reacting to Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray’s opposition to the proposed felling of over 2,646 trees in the verdant colony, Mr Fadnavis said objections and suggestions were also invited on the matter.

“Around 13,000 objections came...out of those 13,000, 10,000 objections were from one Bengaluru-based website. I can understand the view of Mr Thackeray on this tree felling issue, but he should understand what is going on in the minds of some handful of people who are opposing it,” he told reporters.

However, activists refuted Mr Fadnavis’ claim, stating that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation received 82,000 objections.

The Asian Age also had reported in July that 82,000 objections were filed, while around 800 citizens attended the public hearing.

“The BMC has on record said that 82,000 objections were filed by citizens against the proposal. There was also a huge public hearing on the matter. If the CM wants citizens to personally appear, citizens will line up in front of his house to plead him to save Aarey,” said Stalin Dayanand, project director, Vanashakti.

“There are websites that help citizens to send their objections to the BMC. Every objection has name and number of the citizens, which can be verified,” he added.

Mr Fadnavis claimed that the Supreme Court had clarified that Aarey’s land does not come under forest or bio-diversity zones and permission for the metro car shed can be granted there.

"So the state government, by adhering to orders passed by the Supreme court, is working on the project," the chief minister said.