The Bombay High Court recently granted an interim stay on the allotment of 102 acres of saltpan land at Kanjurmarg for metro car depot of Colaba-Bandra-Seepz line.

To counter this move, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government is looking to use a plot of land in the Bandra-Kurla Complex set aside as the originating point of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train for the metro car shade.

Maharashtra’s chief secretary Sanjay Kumar informed thePrint, “We are considering various alternative sites. One is the land at BKC that has been earmarked for the bullet train project. The other alternatives are Pahadi, Goregaon, and a plot of land in Kalina.”

Former CM and the state’s leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis launched a scathing attack on the incumbent government for pondering upon such a move.

“Exactly who are this government’s advisers? They are not only trying to drown the government, but also the state. The BKC plot is prized land. The last land that we sold at BKC was at the rate of Rs 1,800 crore per hectare. The car shed will need 25 hectares, which means the cost of this land is more than Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore,” Fadnavis was quoted as saying in the report.

Detailing on the financial repercussions of the MVA securing the BKC plot, the BJP leader declared that the annual maintenance charge of the metro car shade could rise by five-six times in such a scenario.

He further said, “The bullet train station is proposed to be constructed three levels below the ground. The design is such that on top there will be buildings of the proposed International Finance Centre (IFC). Now, if we decide to construct the metro car depot underground, it will cost at least Rs 5,000-6,000 crore as against the Rs 500 crore now. This will multiply the annual maintenance too by five to six times.”