Will cancel Adani’s Dharavi redvpt prjoect if Sena (UBT) gains power, says Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai: In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray announced on Saturday that if his party assumes power in Maharashtra, they will cancel the Dharavi slum redevelopment project tender awarded to industrialist Gautam Adani’s firm.

Thackeray emphasised at a press conference that under their governance, residents and businesses in Dharavi will not be displaced, advocating instead for them to receive 500 square feet homes within the locality itself.

“We will revoke the current tender for the Dharavi slum redevelopment project once we are in power. The government needs to justify why it shouldn’t be cancelled immediately. We are determined to prevent Mumbai from becoming an ‘Adani city’,” Thackeray, a former chief minister, declared.

Thackeray alleged that additional unspecified concessions were granted to the Adani Group beyond the contract’s terms for the redevelopment of Dharavi, known as one of the world’s most densely populated urban areas.

“We will not approve any additional concessions. Our priority is the welfare of Dharavi’s residents, and if necessary, we will initiate a new tender process,” he asserted.

Thackeray also criticised the government, questioning whether it planned to introduce a ‘Ladka Mitra’ scheme akin to the ‘Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana’, which offers a nominal monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 to women.

During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress highlighted the Dharavi redevelopment project as a significant electoral issue. Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Anil Desai secured a lead of 36,857 votes over sitting MP Rahul Shewale in the Dharavi assembly segment and went on to win by a margin of 53,384 votes.

Thackeray criticised the government’s approach to categorising homes and eligibility for residents of Dharavi, accusing them of attempting to relocate people under the slum rehabilitation scheme.

“The government’s acquisition of 20 plots in the city for infrastructure and development purposes will strain existing infrastructure in the areas where residents are relocated, causing imbalance in the city,” Thackeray, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, pointed out.

The Dharavi project, estimated to generate revenue potential of Rs20,000 crore, aims to redevelop the extensive slum area in central Mumbai near the BKC business district. Adani Properties won the tender in November 2022 after competitive bidding involving real estate giants DLF and Naman Developers.