Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray announced on Saturday that his party will scrap the Dharavi slum redevelopment project tender awarded to industrialist Gautam Adani's firm if comes to power in Maharashtra. These vows came during a press conference, where he emphasised that his party would ensure the residents and businesses in Dharavi are not displaced and the residents receive 500 square feet of houses within their locality.
"We will scrap Dharavi slum redevelopment project tender after coming to power. The government should give an answer as to why it should not be scrapped now itself. We will not allow Mumbai to be turned into Adani city," PTI quoted the former Maharashtra chief minister as saying.
Thackeray claimed that additional concessions which are not mentioned in the contract, are being granted to the Adani Group for redeveloping Dharavi, one of the world's most densely populated urban areas. "We will not give additional concessions. We will see what is good for residents of Dharavi and if need arises we will issue a fresh tender," he asserted.
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The Sena UBT chief also lashed out at the Maharashtra government and asked if it was planning to start a 'Ladla Mitra' (dear friend) scheme on the lines of 'Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahin Yojana'. This scheme aims to give a measly sum of Rs 1,500 per month to women.
Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress Dharavi Redevelopment Project
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress had made the Dharavi redevelopment project an important issue in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Anil Desai led by 36,857 votes against Shiv Sena's incumbent MP Rahul Shewale from the Dharavi assembly segment and ultimately defeated Shewale by a margin of 53,384 votes.
Thackeray stated that the government is numbering every home, suggesting that they aim to hold Dharavi residents with eligibility issues to eventually drive them away.
He also stated that the government was trying to acquire land under the slum rehabilitation scheme for rehabilitating the residents of Dharavi. This involves the acquisition of 20 plots in the city intended for infrastructure or development projects, which Thackeray argued could in turn an imbalance by stressing existing infrastructure in relocation areas.