Dharavi land transfer to Maha govt depts; Adani only a developer: Sources

Mumbai: The multi-crore Dharavi slum redevelopment project involves no land transfer to the Adani group but to the Maharashtra government's departments, and the Ahmedabad-based conglomerate, as a project developer, will build houses that will be handed over to the same departments for allotment to residents of Asia's biggest slums, sources said.

Denying allegations of land grab made by MP Varsha Gaikwad, sources close to the project said land parcels are to be transferred only to Dharavi Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP/SRA) of the state government's housing department.

Adani Group, which won the Dharavi slum redevelopment project in open international bidding, will build tenements - housing and commercials - through its joint venture company Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Ltd (DRPPL) with the Maharashtra government, again hand them over to DRP/SRA of the Maharashtra government for allocation as per survey findings.

Trying to clear misconceptions over the project, sources said as per the tender, the land remains allocated to DRP/SRA at rates decided by the government. DRPPL has to pay the government as per demand just for the development.

While DRPPL gets development rights, the state support agreement, which is part of the tender document, clearly says that the state government will support the project by giving land to its own DRP/SRA department.

On the issue of allocation of railway land, where the first rehabilitation units are to be built for the first set of Dharavi residents, sources said it was allocated to DRP even before tendering, for which DRPPL has paid a whopping premium of 170 per cent to the prevailing ready reckoner rates.

Calling allegations that Dharavikars will be thrown out of Dharavi and rendered homeless as pure fictional and a mere figment to create anxiety amongst the masses, sources said the government's 2022 order provides for a condition that each and every tenement holder of Dharavi, eligible or ineligible, will be given a home.

No Dharavikar will be displaced under the DRP/SRA scheme, they insisted.

Holders of tenements in existence on or before January 1, 2000, will be eligible for in-situ rehabilitation. Those existing between January 1, 2000, and January 1, 2011, will be allotted homes under PMAY outside Dharavi anywhere in MMR for just Rs 2.5 lakh or via rental housing.

The tenements -- which exist post January 1, 2011, till the cutoff date (to be declared by the government) -- will get homes under the state government's proposed affordable rental home policy with an option of hire-purchase.

The Dharavi redevelopment, they said, is a unique provision compared to the regular SRA scheme, wherein only eligible tenement holders were provided a house of up to 300 square feet.

Under the Dharavi redevelopment projects, a flat measuring 350 sq ft, 17 per cent more than other SRA schemes in Mumbai, will be allocated.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Tender is one of the most progressive in terms of its outlook towards informal settlers of Dharavi, sources said, adding that it is completely pro-people, which includes free and highly concessional housing, stamp duty and property tax exemption, 10-year free maintenance and a 10 per cent commercial area in residential premises to enable the prospective housing societies to have a sustainable revenue stream in addition to the corpus being provided.

For the eligible tenements of businesses, the government scheme provides for a proper free-of-cost business place and a five-year state GST rebate is offered, which will result in boosting their profitability, usher them into the formal economy, make them more competitive and offer them many fold growth opportunities, they noted.

On deliverables, the tender has put stringent timelines, and any violation will attract penalties.

On the allegation of allotment of Kurla Mother Dairy land, sources said the land is going to be given to DRP and not Adani nor DRPPL. The process under Maharashtra Land Revenue (Disposal of Government Lands) Rules, 1971, was duly followed before the issuance of the relevant Government Resolution (GR).

Sources said a fake narrative for electoral gains is being spread around the project, which, if it succeeds, will keep the people of Dharavi in poor living conditions with poor or little access to basic amenities.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project is a first-of-its-kind initiative that seeks to transform the locality into a world-class city, creating a sustainable and thriving neighbourhood while preserving its timeless essence.

The project seeks to improve the quality of life for over one million residents of Dharavi through a human-centric approach, sources said, adding that several additional initiatives are being integrated towards sustainable multi-modal transport systems and state of art infra utilities.

Additionally, vocational-based skilling is being planned for youth and other wage aspirants of Dharavi to improve their earning potential and facilitate them with jobs, which will give them opportunities that are more eco-friendly and benign, they added.