19.7 hectares of prime rly land notified under SRA for Dharavi project

Maharashtra urban development department issued a notification late on Tuesday evening bringing 19.7 hectares of prime railway land under the purview of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority. The move, a part of the technical formality, is a precursor to the issuing of the work order to Adani Realty to commence work on one of the country’s biggest urban renewal projects

Mumbai: Maharashtra urban development department issued a notification late on Tuesday evening bringing 19.7 hectares of prime railway land under the purview of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority.

Mumbai, India - March 14, 2016: Dharavi area for Housing Series in Mumbai, India, on Monday, March 14, 2016. (Photo by Kunal Patil/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The move, a part of the technical formality, is a precursor to the issuing of the work order to Adani Realty to commence work on one of the country’s biggest urban renewal projects.

Despite the recent controversy around the group and the turbulence in their share price, the state government has made it amply evident that it will go ahead with awarding the contract to Adani Realty. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who also heads the housing department, said while speaking on the side lines of a function of SBUP (Saifee Burhani Upliftment Project) that he had full confidence the Dharavi Redevelopment Project would be completed in time.

According to officials from the housing department, the work order to Adani Realty is likely to be issued in the next few weeks. “In addition to the financial closure, official transfer of the railway land, a few more formalities will be completed before the official work order is issued,” he said.

Another official who did not want to be quoted said there would be no rethink on the allotment of the project to Adani Realty. “Unless the company itself decides to backout for financial reasons there would be no change. The company won the bid through the official process and any decision by the government against the allotment of the project will lead to litigation. The government is of the opinion that things will settle down in next few weeks.”

Dharavi, one of the largest slums in Asia, is spread over 240 hectares of prime land in the heart of Mumbai and for over two decades there have been multiple unsuccessful efforts to redevelop it. This involves the rehabilitation of more than 60,000 families and 13,000 commercial units set up in 405-square-feet tenements.

In the recent past efforts to redevelop Dharavi had faltered on account of the 19.7- hectare land which belongs to the railways and is outside the purview of the state government. But in 2019 the state government paid ₹800 crore to the Indian Railways to buy a total of 47.5 acres of land that includes the 19.7 hectares to be incorporated for Dharavi’s redevelopment.

Bhushan Gagrani, additional chief secretary, Urban Development Department, said, “We have changed the planning authority for this railway land. Earlier the planning authority was BMC and bringing this under SRA will facilitate the redevelopment faster.”

Last year Adani Realty’s bid of ₹5069 crore was the highest for the project that is valued at ₹23,000 crore project.