Thane Metro announcement not an 'election carrot': Shinde

Thane, Aug 27 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said that the announcement about Metro services in Thane city by December is not a “election carrot” ahead of the upcoming civic polls.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, his party Shiv Sena doesn’t work only during poll season but serves people year-round.

“When Prithviraj Chavan (of Congress) was the chief minister, he said Metro was not feasible in Thane. We, the MLAs of the region, agitated, and after Devendra Fadnavis became the CM, the project gained momentum,” claimed Shinde.

During the tenure of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, of which he was a part, the Metro project in Thane faced various hurdles, which were eventually cleared during his own tenure as the CM, Shinde said.

“We are aiming to start operations on a 10-kilometre stretch before December,” he said.

Thane Metro project is not an “election carrot”, he said. Local body elections are likely to be held in Maharashtra in the coming months.

Shinde had said earlier that efforts were underway to conduct the trial run of the Metro service in Thane in September, and its full-fledged operations in the city would likely begin by December this year.

This will be a part of the Metro 4 corridor, or Yellow Line, which will run from Wadala via Ghatkopar to Kasarvadavali in Thane.

Shinde on Tuesday also highlighted the Shiv Sena’s public service initiatives, including free bus services for devotees traveling to Konkan and Western Maharashtra during the festive season.

“More than a lakh devotees have benefited from these free bus services. This is not about elections,” he said.

He also claimed that the government’s efforts have led to a decline in farmer suicides. “Our government has extended over Rs 40,000 crore in benefits through various schemes,” he said.

A memorial would be built in Thane in honour of Anand Dighe, his mentor and a respected figure in Shiv Sena, Shinde said. PTI COR NR