Opposition protests against Dharavi redevelopment project

Nagpur: Members of opposition parties in Maharashtra on Wednesday attacked the Eknath Shinde-led state government over the Dharavi redevelopment issue, accusing it of favouring the Adani Group but leaving the residents of the slum colony in the lurch.

Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad, who represents the Dharavi assembly constituency, Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve from the Shiv Sena (UBT), and other legislators from the opposition parties raised slogans over the issue on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan, the state legislature complex here.

‘Dharavi vachva, laghu udyog vachva’ (Save Dharavi, save small-scale industries) was one of the slogans raised by them.

Dharavi, located in central parts of the country’s financial capital, is a hub for several small-scale, unorganised industries that manufacture medicines, leather, footwear, clothes among other things. It is known as one of Asia’s biggest slum clusters.

After emerging as the highest bidder for the 259-hectare Dharavi redevelopment project, Adani Properties was handed the project in November last year through a competitive bidding. The project, which reportedly has a revenue potential of Rs 20,000 crore, involves rebuilding the Dharavi slum.

Danve said, “The government is gifting Dharavi land to Adani. But many people running small-scale industries in the slum are getting affected in the process.”

“Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has signed all the agreements and tender of Adani’s Dharavi project…There is a doubt whether more than 70,000 people in Dharavi will get houses there or not. Similarly, the ownership of TDR is also being given to the Adani Group,” he said.

Danve asked the government whether it was working for the Adani Group or for the people in Dharavi.

“In order to draw the government’s attention to this issue, we staged demonstrations on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will raise this issue in both Houses of the legislature,” he said.

Gaikwad said the redevelopment of Dharavi should be for the benefit of local people.

“Small-scale industries with annual turnover of Rs 100 crore operate from Dharavi. The tender says that people of Dharavi will be shifted 10 kms away from the existing slum location. The TDR is a huge scam,” she alleged.

The Opposition Congress has earlier accused the government of benefiting the Adani Group by relaxing norms for the Dharavi redevelopment project.