Activist challenges CMO's claim, says Aarey land belongs to forest dept

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ office has claimed that a controversial Aarey plot, which is being considered for the construction of a car shed as part of the Metro-3 Colaba-Seepz project, belongs to the state Dairy Development Department.

However, government documents accessed by The Asian Age raise questions over the CMO’s explanation and also show that the said land could be with the Forest Department.

The CMO had cited an affidavit given by the Forest Department in the National Green Tribunal to support its claims that the land is not forest. But, the same affidavit and the papers contesting the affidavit clearly contradict the government’s claims.

The papers contesting the affidavit were filed by environmental activist Stalin. D of Vanashakti. Last week, Mr Stalin held a press conference along with Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam alleging a scam of Rs 18,000 crore in setting up the Metro car shed by possible commercial development on the plot. But the CMO had denied the charges.

The Asian Age is possession of the affidavit, which the CMO cited in its explanation.

It reads, “This area is used for such non-forest activities since 1949. Therefore, the area indicated in the map appended to the said letter cannot be declared as Forest.’ Sanjay Lachake, assistant conservator of forests, Thane, filed the affidavit.

But this affidavit was filed after Mr Stalin went to court to challenge the government’s plan to set up a car shed in Aarey.

Though the Forest Department had said that the land was being used for non-forest activities, the papers from early 1950s, which were part of the papers contesting the government’s affidavit, show that the land was mentioned as ‘forest land’ throughout.

Papers from 1980 show that a total of 2,076.073 hectare of revenue land from Aarey Milk scheme was part of the then Borivali National Park. According to the documents, the said land was transferred to Forest Department in 1969.

Also in 2012, the Management Plan of Sanjay Gandhi National Park was prepared and it also said that, “the revenue lands transferred from Aarey Milk Colony for un-classed forests”.