MIDC cancels controversial tenders for 338-acre slum rehab project

The project, spread across 338 acres from Digha and Airoli to Shirvane, involved rehabilitation of around 35,800 eligible tenements under a cluster model that could have significantly altered land-use patterns across the TTC industrial corridor

Navi Mumbai: The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has cancelled all three tenders floated for its proposed slum redevelopment project in the Thane-Belapur industrial belt, pausing one of the biggest rehabilitation schemes planned in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

MIDC cancels controversial tenders for 338-acre slum rehab project

The project, spread across 338 acres from Digha and Airoli to Shirvane, involved rehabilitation of around 35,800 eligible tenements under a cluster model that could have significantly altered land-use patterns across the TTC industrial corridor. The MIDC, as owner of the land parcel, was to execute the project in coordination with the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

Tenders for three packages comprising the project were floated on March 27 and advertisements about the same were published in newspapers and on the state e-tendering portal. On April 16, however, all three tenders were cancelled via a corrigendum, less than three weeks after they were floated. The MIDC did not give any reason for the cancellation in the official notice.

The proposed project had faced criticism from multiple quarters, including the size of rehabilitation homes fixed at 300 square feet (sqft) and geographically distant settlements being clubbed into common clusters, with some pockets spread across 15-18 km.

“How can people living 18 km away be treated as one cluster? This is not planning; this is confusion,” former mayor and BJP corporator Sudhakar Sonawane had said.

Fellow BJP corporator Amit Medhkar had opposed the proposed 300 sqft homes, saying, “How can people survive in 300 sqft today? What we want is ownership rights over land.”

Critics had objected to a clause in the tender requiring bidders to show prior experience of rehabilitating at least 1,900 families, saying it narrowed competition and favoured only a few large developers. Affected residents had also raised concerns over transit accommodation, infrastructure pressure and households outside eligibility norms.

Separately, forest minister Ganesh Naik had publicly opposed the MIDC’s role in the project.

“This is being brought through the backdoor. I have spoken to the chief minister, and this will be cancelled at any cost,” the minister had promised.

He had argued redevelopment should be undertaken through the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, via a people-centric framework.

Stormy scenes in NMMC

The cancellation of the three tenders led to heated exchanges in the NMMC general body on Monday.

Sonawane moved a resolution thanking Naik and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. “The tender was…framed to mislead people. We explained the issues to Ganesh Naik, who assured justice,” he said.

Members of the opposition Shiv Sena, however, insisted that deputy chief minister and Sena chief Eknath Shinde too should be credited for the move.

Leader of the House Sagar Naik said the rollback had saved the future of slum dwellers. The project was designed to benefit developers, he said, adding, “Whether through the SRA or urban renewal, redevelopment must benefit the people.”

MIDC chief executive officer (CEO) P Velrasu said the authority would revisit the matter after discussions. It is unclear if the MIDC will issue revised tenders or the project will be routed through another authority.