Maharashtra CM stays Aarey metro car shed work

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray yesterday said that the new government has stayed the Aarey Metro car-shed work and no trees will be felled until further notice.

Speaking to media after a cabinet meeting yesterday, the Chief Minister said, he is the first Chief Minister, who was born in Mumbai, adding that the city would be his priority.

He, however, clarified that he had not stayed the work of the Mumbai Metro Rail Project itself.

The then BJP-led Government in Maharashtra had come under fire from green activists in October when over 2,000 trees were felled for a metro 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.

The Shiv Sena President, who was accompanied by his son and MLA Aaditya, also said that he will do whatever it takes to meet people and solve their problems. Mr Thackeray said his government will be accountable for every paisa of tax-payers.

Earlier in the day, Mr Uddhav Thackeray formally took charge of his office in Mumbai. On reaching the State Secretariat, Mantralaya, he paid floral tributes to the portrait of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the building.

Prior to that, on his way to Mantralaya from the Thackeray family residence Matoshree in suburban Bandra, he stopped at the Hutatma Chowk in south Mumbai and paid tributes to martyrs.