In a significant move, the Maharashtra government Thursday lifted the stay order on the construction of the controversial Mumbai Metro Line 3 car shed at Aarey Colony. It is to be noted that the stay on the same was issued by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after he assumed office in November 2019.

Reacting to the news, senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said he was happy with the development. “The Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis cabinet has rolled back the stay on Aarey car shed project. Now the Aarey car shed project will be completed in the next 6-8 months and the Mumbai metro line 3 from Colaba to Seepz will be available to the public within a year. I am hopeful that under the leadership of Shinde and Fadnavis, the work of all metro lines will be completed soon,” Somaiya added.

The Aarey car shed project had become a bitter political issue of sorts between Fadnavis and Uddhav. The former chief minister had declared the shifting of the metro 3 car shed project to Kanjurmarg and declared nearly 800 acres of land in the Aarey area as forest land.

Fadnavis had recently commented that the opposition to the car shed at Aarey was political in nature and there were vested interests involved who didn’t want the car shed at Aarey, where substantial work had already been completed.

Fadnavis had said, “The work on the Aarey site is 25 per cent complete and the remaining 75 per cent can be completed very quickly. The site was cleared by SC. I had requested Uddhav Thackeray to keep aside his ego and allow the work to be completed. SC also approved this site because the metro construction work will help the environment. Hence, the metro car shed project will happen at Aarey.”

Congress and the Shiv Sena had recently staged a protest at the car shed construction site at Aarey alleging that the government was trying to damage the green-lung of Mumbai for mere financial gains.