Mumbai:

Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s poll promise to scrap the ambitious project to redevelop Dharavi, the biggest slum in Asia, has sparked a strong response from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Releasing his party’s manifesto for the Maharashtra election, Mr Thackeray had said yesterday that the Dharavi project will have ramifications on Mumbai and will be scrapped if he is elected to power. Mr Shinde, his former aide who sided with the BJP to topple the earlier Thackeray government, said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – an alliance of three parties including the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), and Shiv Sena (UBT) – knows nothing apart from staying projects.

“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.

The MVA is contesting the upcoming Maharashtra polls together to unseat the Mahayuti – an alliance of the BJP and the Shiv Sena faction led by Mr Shinde and the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar.

Asserting that his government has housing for all, Mr Shinde accused the MVA of copying their schemes and challenged them to talk about the work they have done.

“I openly challenge the MVA to talk about the work they have done. They are only copying the schemes we have announced. They are liars and the public will not believe them. The public has decided that the Mahayuti will form the government with a thumping majority,” he said.

The Dharavi Redevelopment 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.

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

Mumbai:

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL), the firm redeveloping Asia’s largest slums, on Thursday, performed the groundbreaking ceremony (Bhoomi Poojan) of the Dharavi redevelopment project at the RPF grounds in Matunga.

The pooja, conducted in an area called Sector 6, marks the auspicious beginning of the construction of the Railway’s staff quarters and offices to be handed over to the government, as mandated in the Dharavi Redevelopment tender documents, sources said.

Already, the state government-led door-to-door survey to determine eligible and ineligible residents is on with an idea to speed up the redevelopment and to ensure inclusive development.

The DRPPL, which is a joint venture between the state government and the Adani Group, has also moved in the direction envisaged by the Maharashtra government, which is on a mission to make Mumbai a slum-free city by 2030.

Mapping the roughly 600 acres of densely populated Dharavi is crucial for the redevelopment that is likely to take seven years to complete. Eligible residents will get a 350-square-foot flat in the area once the project is completed, while ineligible residents will be rehoused elsewhere in Mumbai. It is the Maharashtra government’s first-ever policy where everyone, whether eligible or ineligible will get home.

A DRPPL source said that Thursday’s ceremony was in keeping with the tender conditions and also the first step in the group’s commitment to create a modern Dharavi.

“We are redeveloping one of the most densely populated clusters in the world. We have committed to providing Dharavikars with a ‘key to key’ exchange wherein existing residents have been guaranteed new homes within a stipulated timeframe and without shifting to temporary accommodation,” the source said.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project will put India on a global map when it comes to resettling townships.

Residents will be given 350 sq ft modern homes with a kitchen and a toilet and will have access to amenities such as top-class roads, hospitals, schools, open spaces, etc. These homes are 17 per cent extra than any other slum rehabilitation project in Mumbai.

The ineligible residents have been classified into two sub-categories: those from January 1, 2000, to January 1, 2011, will be given homes on an ownership basis at affordable prices.

The post-2011 tenement holders will be given homes under the state government’s affordable rental housing policy with an option of hire-purchase. The ineligible residents will be housed in modern townships that will be created in Mumbai.

A DRPPL source said, “These new townships will be ultra-modern townships equipped with schools, hospitals, gardens and good roads.” It is pertinent to note that all eligible, non-polluting industries and commercial establishments will be rehabilitated in Dharavi itself.

A state government source said that the DRPPL was exploring every possible option to protect livelihoods and businesses.

“Better infrastructure will enable businesses to expand their enterprises while skilling and upskilling centres will help people acquire new knowledge, learn, and increase their earning potential. Additionally, businesses will benefit from SGST reimbursement for five years, further supporting their growth and sustainability,” a DRPPL source said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)