Mumbai Congress chief demands cancellation of Dharavi project contract given to Adani firm

The Congress organised a protest rally in Mumbai on Sunday and demanded the cancellation of the Dharavi redevelopment project contract awarded to an Adani Group firm alleging discrepancies in the issuance of the work order. She also claimed that some retired police officials, who were encounter specialists, are visiting Dharavi frequently and asking local people not to oppose the redevelopment project undertaken by Adani.

The Congress organised a protest rally in Mumbai on Sunday and demanded the cancellation of the Dharavi redevelopment project contract awarded to an Adani Group firm alleging ''discrepancies'' in the issuance of the work order. Speaking on the occasion, Mumbai Congress president and former Maharashtra minister Varsha Gaikwad alleged that many residents of Dharavi slum colony have been offered hefty amounts to relocate to distant areas like Palghar. She also claimed that some retired police officials, who were encounter specialists, are visiting Dharavi frequently and asking local people not to oppose the redevelopment project undertaken by Adani. "Whenever Maharashtra chief minister visits Delhi, the prime minister does not ask him about the people of Dharavi, but he asks him about the progress of the Dharavi redevelopment project. He has only commercial interest in Dharavi redevelopment because many people living here have been offered hefty amounts to relocate to Palghar or other distant areas," the Dharavi MLA said. She demanded that the redevelopment contract given to Gautam Adani be cancelled in view of ''several discrepancies in how the work order was issued to him". The Maharashtra government in July formally awarded the 259-hectare Dharavi Redevelopment project to an Adani Group firm.

The project, which reportedly has a revenue potential of Rs 20,000 crore, involves rebuilding the Dharavi slum sprawl in central Mumbai, located near the BKC business district.

It was won by Adani Properties in November last year through a competitive bidding which also saw realty major DLF and Naman Developers competing.

Gaikwad, who had served as school education minister in the MVA government, refuted allegations that she was opposing the development of Dharavi, considered the largest slum settlement in the country. "When Prithviraj Chavan was chief minister of Maharashtra, he had devised a plan to redevelop Dharavi with the help of MHADA (a state government agency). I never opposed this idea. I supported that move because people here will get better homes. But in this contract, Adani has only commercial interest," she said. The Congress leader also alleged that retired police officials are being used to intimidate residents of Dharavi. "I have seen some retired police officials, including Pradeep Sharma, who were encounter specialists. Why are these people visiting Dharavi frequently and asking local people not to oppose the redevelopment project by Adani?" she questioned.