The Managing Director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), Ashwini Bhide, was transferred on January 21 in a reshuffle of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in Maharashtra, news agency ANI reported.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has appointed Ranjit Singh Deol in her place, the news agency has said. Deol is currently the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

Earlier last year, during the stir against cutting of trees for Aarey metro car shed, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray had sought Bhide's transfer for not heeding the opposition to tree felling in Aarey Colony for Mumbai metro's car shed.

He also questioned the stand taken by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited's (MMRCL) that there can't be a metro for the city if land was not made available in the forested Aarey Colony.

The BJP-led Maharashtra government's plan to cut about 2,700 trees in Aarey Colony in north Mumbai for car shed of the metro had green activists and citizens' groups up in the arms.

Bhide had said that it was not possible to build the car shed anywhere else as suggested by green activists.

"The concerned officer is not only disrespecting the elected representatives and citizens of Mumbai but her statements also seem to threaten the common man and the courts," Aaditya, who is now a minister in the state government, had said.

In November, Thackeray had announced a stay on the construction of the car shed. He had, however, clarified that he had not stayed the work of the Mumbai metro rail project itself.