Tender for Dharavi project finalised when MVA govt was in power: Adani

"It is unfortunate that a concerted effort is being made to disseminate misinformation about certain aspects of the project," Adani Group said in a press release

The project for the redevelopment of Dharavi slum in Mumbai was awarded to the Adani Group through a fair, open, and internationally competitive bidding process, and the tender conditions were finalised when the MVA government was in power, as per a release issued by the group.

"It is unfortunate that a concerted effort is being made to disseminate misinformation about certain aspects of the project," the release said after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday led a march against the business conglomerate which was awarded rights to redevelop Dharavi.

The morcha was taken out from Dharavi to the Adani Group office located in the Bandra Kurla Complex.

The Maharashtra government in July formally awarded the 259-hectare Dharavi Redevelopment project to an Adani Group firm.

"It is important to note that the tender conditions were finalised during the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which demitted office at the end of June 2022," the release said on Saturday.

The finalised conditions, including the obligations and incentives, which were known to all the bidders, have not been changed for the awardee post the tendering process. Hence, it is wrong to claim that any special benefits have been given to the awardee, the release said.

It is reiterated that all eligible tenement holders will be provided with a key-to-key solution, which means they will move into their new homes in Dharavi itself. As per the tender conditions, even ineligible tenement holders will be provided accommodation under the Rental Housing Policy, it said.

The tender provisions also ensure that eligible residential tenements will receive 17% more area than other SRA projects in Mumbai.

Further, the generation and usage of TDR are as per the tender conditions and fully compliant with the relevant laws. Moreover, the resettlement of Dharavikars is not affected by Transferable Development Rights (TDR), it said.

Addressing protesters, Thackeray has alleged that the redevelopment project involves TDR irregularities worth more than Rs 100 crore, which is the "biggest scam in the world".

The project spokesperson, however, stated that the TDR from the project will be managed and monitored transparently through a specially created portal by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and the state government.

The Maharashtra government has entered into a 99-year lease agreement with the Indian Railways and then it will be sub-leased on 30 years+30 years basis like any other government land in Mumbai to the housing societies. There is no change in this policy for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, the release said.

There is a general consensus, not only in Mumbai and Maharashtra but also across the whole of India, for transforming Dharavi and providing the people of Dharavi with better living conditions, adequate hygiene, education and vocational training, healthcare, employment opportunities, essential amenities and a life of dignity, it said.

The Dharavi project assumes added significance because many earlier attempts have failed to deliver. It is against this backdrop that the Adani Group has taken up the challenge and the responsibility of transforming Dharavi with all the above facilities, the release said.

A transformational project like Dharavi needs support from all stakeholders, including from political parties cutting across ideologies and differences, it added.