HC stay and Centre’s objections: State govt stares at legal hurdles

MUMBAI: While a committee appointed by the Maharashtra government has backed Kanjurmarg over Aarey as the right plot for building a car shed for Metro lines 3 (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz) and 6 (Swami Samarth NagarVikhroli), the state still has legal hurdles to clear before undertaking work at Kanjurmarg.

A top official from the state government, who did not wish to be named, said that the committee’s recommendations have no standing until the court clears the land parcel for construction of the shed. “The matter is pending in the court. It is as clear,” the official said.

In November 2020, the Bombay high court (HC) had stayed

Pthe transfer of 102 acres of land to the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA). The court had also stated that land transfer by the collector was bordering on fraud on power. The court is set to hear the matter in February again. On October 6, the collector transferred possession of the piece of land to MMRDA and two days later, the authority, handed it over to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited, which started the levelling work at site.

The Central government also challenged these actions on the land claiming that the entire salt pan land, including the 102 acres at Kanjurmarg, belongs to its salt department and has always been under the administrative control of the deputy salt commissioner.

Trivankumar Karnani, a lawyer, said, “The matter should have been settled by the government instead of delaying such a crucial project. Matters related to title disputes take a long time to get resolved.”

The matter should have been settled by the government instead of delaying such a crucial project.

TRIVANKUMAR KARNANI,