Uddhav Thackeray to lead march to Adani office against Dharavi redevelopment project

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

Uddhav demanded that people of Dharavi must get a space having an area of around 400-500 square feet and not just 350 square feet.

“People living in Dharavi need to be relocated in Dharavi itself because of their livelihood, which mostly depends on manufacturing products. The Dharavi residents must get a space of 400 to 500 sq feet each. Around 80,000 to 90,000 slum dwellers are still shown as ineligible to be qualified for the space after redevelopment. I want to ask Adani what he is going to do about it. The government is helping the industrialist,” said Thackeray.

Uddhav also said that the state government should create a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) bank and the government itself should sell the TDR instead of allowing Adani to sell the TDR privately.

Uddhav said that the Sena (UBT) won’t allow the state government to “gift Mumbai to Adani”. “Police and sanitation workers should also get an opportunity to stay there. If you force TDR (Transferable Development Rights), the government should take it. The government has planned how Adani will get better. If the issue of TDR (is going to come up), the government should take it under its control. If there is oppression during the survey, Shiv Sainiks will defeat it. Twenty per cent of the government and 80 per cent of Adani is the issue,” Thackeray said.

The former CM said Sena (UBT) wants the redevelopment of Dharavi but raised suspicion over the process followed while awarding the redevelopment contract and rehabilitating slum-dwellers.

“The Dharavi redevelopment project is suspicious. Dharavi’s dirty slums have got the price of gold. It is our wish that small businessmen of Dharavi also get space there. Due to the development works, Mumbaikars are out of breath.

There is a lot of pollution in Mumbai due to zero planning. The government is only awarding contracts. This is a contract-giving government. It has been reported that Abhyudaya Nagar Bandra reclamation will also be given to Adani. They are doing everything only for Adani,” said Thackeray.

“The government must clarify how the state government has guaranteed the completion of the project, when a detailed survey hasn’t been done. There is only 20 per cent involvement of the government in the project while Adani has 80 per cent involvement,” Uddhav alleged.

“The electricity bill contract has also been awarded to Adani. How is everything given to Adani? If you are taking all the industries to Gujarat, what will you do to Mumbai,” he questioned.

Ballot challenge

As the BJP won in three states out of the five state assembly elections, Uddhav dared the saffron party to hold one election on ballot paper instead of EVMs and show its confidence, “Hold the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election first on ballot paper. If the BJP is so confident, then show the same confidence by holding the Lok Sabha elections using ballot paper,” he said.