Deadline for Dharavi revamp bid extended

The deadline for submitting financial bids for the rehabilitation and makeover of Asia's largest slum Dharavi in Mumbai has been extended till May 31, an official close to the development told NewsWire18 on Wednesday.

"We will be holding a pre-bid meeting with 19 bidders on April 24 to brief them on some minor changes in the plan," an official from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said.

He, however, declined to detail the proposed 'minor' modifications in the project. According to reports, Shiv Sena is now demanding 400 sft tenements for all residents of the slum instead of 225 sft promised by the state government.

This is the second time the deadline for the final round of bidding for the Rs 9300-crore project has been extended in the last two weeks. Earlier, the deadline was extended till April 30 from April 26.

The state government and the MMRDA have short-listed 19 qualified developers to submit financial bids for the Dharavi project spread across 236 ha.

The 19 developers include: Dubai-based Limitless, DLF-Akruti, The Magarpatta Township Development & Construction Co, The Africa Israel Investment Ltd, Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Engineering Associates Pvt Ltd, Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Indiabulls Real Estate, Housing Development & Infrastructure Ltd-Lehman Brothers, and Emaar MGF.

According to the plan, Dharavi "" adjacent to Mumbai's business district of Bandra-Kurla complex "" will be divided into five sectors that will be developed by private developers.

Every winning bidder will be awarded only one such sector for development. The developers are expected to rehabilitate 57,000 families and build infrastructure, roads, water supply, sewage facilities, and storm water drains.

The project will create 40 million sft of commercial space and 30 million sft of residential development and is estimated to be completed in seven years.

The project will have a maximum floor space index of 4. Private property in the project will have an FSI of 1.3, municipal and government property 3.1, and slum houses will have an FSI of 4.