Politics

Uddhav Thackeray Vows to Scrap Dharavi Slum Redevelopment Project Tender After Maharashtra Elections

Chief of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Uddhav Thackeray, declared on Saturday that if his party wins the Maharashtra assembly election, his administration will dismantle the Dharavi slum redevelopment project in Mumbai. Speaking at a news conference, Uddhav Thackeray declared, “We won’t let it happen,” in opposition to the concessions being provided for the Dharavi redevelopment project. After taking office, Uddhav Thackeray remarked, “We will not give additional sops and if required, call for a fresh tender. Is it Dharavi redevelopment or ‘Ladka Mitra Yojna’ (favourite friend scheme)?”

The multi-crore Dharavi slum redevelopment project does not involve the transfer of land to the Adani group; rather, it involves the Maharashtra government’s departments. The Ahmedabad-based conglomerate is acting as the project developer and will construct homes that will be given to the departments for distribution to inhabitants of Asia’s largest slums, as previously reported by news agency. Senior Congressman Prithviraj Chavan called the Dharavi slum reconstruction project a “big scam” earlier this month when he addressed the Maharashtra legislature over financial demands made by the revenue department. He also asked the Maharashtra government to provide a white paper on the project.

After the October state assembly elections, if there is a change in government, Chavan indicated the entire project will be abandoned. Dharavi is Mumbai’s largest cluster of slums. The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), both of whom are a part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, have opposed the Adani group’s multibillion-dollar Dharavi rebuilding project. “The Dharavi redevelopment project is a big scam and the state government should come out with a white paper, or else when the next government comes to power in October the entire project will be scrapped,” said Chavan.

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Was the latest transfer of dairy land in Kurla for the Dharavi redevelopment project specified in the initial tender, inquired the former state chief minister? It is not specified which government land—Deonar, Mulund, or salt pan land—is being provided for the reconstruction of Dharavi, he expressed. The Congress leader stated, “This needs to be looked into to see how much government revenue is lost.” Industry was allegedly receiving government land at extremely low prices, and all government-owed revenue was being withheld, according to his claims. The Dharavi project will be covered in a white paper, as later promised by Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. Details about the tendering procedure will be included in the white paper, he stated.