Ultimate sufferer is common Mumbaikar: Fadnavis after CM Thackeray stays Aarey car shed work

Devendra Fadnavis said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had given Rs 15,000 crore for the metro project on "nominal" interest rates.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday slammed CM Uddhav Thackeray's decision to stay the construction of metro car shed in Mumbai's Aarey Colony, saying the state government was not serious about the infrastructure projects in the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the decision, with Devendra Fadnavis saying that it will discourage investors and stall infrastructure projects in the city. Strong protests had erupted in Mumbai in October against cutting of trees for the construction of a car shed.

Addressing a press conference, Uddhav Thackeray said, "I have stayed Aarey car shed work. I will review the entire thing...I will not allow a culture where trees are cut at night. Not a single tree leaf will be cut till further orders." He clarified that metro work itself has not stayed.

Taking to Twitter, Devendra Fadnavis said, "It is unfortunate that the state government stayed Aarey Metro CarShed work in spite of Hon Supreme Court and Hon High Court orders. This shows State Government is not serious about Mumbai Infrastructure projects! And ultimate sufferer is common Mumbaikar only ! #SaveMetroSaveMumbai."

In another tweet, Devendra Fadnavis said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had given Rs 15,000 crore for the metro project on "nominal" interest rates.

"Japan's JICA had funded Rs 15,000 crore for this Metro project on nominal interest rates. Such decisions will demotivate investors to come forward in future and all infra projects will get stalled which were already delayed for so long in previous 15 year rule. #SaveMetroSaveMumbai."

Then BJP-led government in Maharashtra had come under fire from green activists in October when over 2,000 trees were felled for a car shed, to be constructed in Aarey Colony which is adjacent to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

The Shiv Sena, then junior partner in the Devendra Fadnavis government, had opposed the felling of trees.

A Supreme Court bench had last month sought a status report with pictures on plantation, transplantation and felling of trees in Aarey colony area.

The Bombay High Court had on October 4 refused to declare Aarey Colony a forest and declined to quash the Mumbai municipal corporation's decision to allow felling of over 2,600 trees in the green zone to set up a metro car shed.

Hours after the court gave a go-ahead, trees were cut at night, fueling outrage.

(With PTI inputs)