Mumbai:
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ripped into Congress’s Rahul Gandhi today for opposing the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, alleging that he is out to rob Maharashtra. “This is Asia’s biggest project and I appeal to the people of Dharavi to keep politics aside and consider what is beneficial for them,” he said.
Accusing the Leader of the Opposition of spreading misinformation about the project, he said, “Two lakh people will get houses in Dharavi… and everyone should give it priority”.
Sena UBT, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) have said if they come to power, the Dharavi Redevelopment Project will be shelved as it has ramifications for the whole of Mumbai.
The project – which is set to give the largest slum in Asia spanning over 250 hectares – is a joint venture between the Maharashtra government and the Adani Group.
Eligible residents will be given 350-sq-ft flats in the area after the project is completed. Those not eligible will be rehoused elsewhere in the city. Schools, community halls, and hospitals will also be built as part of the redevelopment project.
Mr Shinde had slammed the Opposition’s plan earlier as well.
“Do they know anything except putting a stay on projects and discontinuing them? What else can we expect from MVA? 1-2 lakh people stay in poor conditions in Dharavi, while these leaders stay in big houses,” the Chief Minister told reporters earlier this month.
Dharavi — which has a diverse population and reflects the cosmopolitan spirit of Mumbai — has been a Congress stronghold for two decades. This year, it will see a fight between Congress’s Dr Jyoti Gaikwad, sister of Varsha Gaikwad who represented it in the state assembly since 2004, and Eknath Shinde-led Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s Rajesh Khandare.
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