Tender for Dharavi Redevelopment has been cancelled by the cabinet of the Maharashtra government on Thursday. This is the third time, the tender has been cancelled, but the decision hasn’t gone well with residents.
By Varun Singh
Uddhav Thackeray led MVA government’s cabinet on Thursday decided to cancel the tender for Dharavi Redevelopment that was floated by Devendra Fadanvis led government in 2018.
One of World’s biggest slum, Dharavi has been waiting for redevelopment for over a decade and half now.
On August 28, 2020, squarefeatindia.com was the first to report that tenders for Dharavi Redevelopment will be cancelled.
Also Read: Dharavi Redevelopment, Govt May Cancel Tender
Today the government finally decided to cancel the tender.
This was the third time, the tenders were floated for Dharavi Redevelopment.
Now government will be floating fresh tenders. The first two times the tender was floated when Congress-NCP were in power.
The third tender was floated when Devendra Fadnavis led BJP-Shiv Sena was in power.
Now the Uddhav Thackeray led Maharashtra Vikas Agahdi cancelled the tender and will float a fresh one.
In August the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) met to take a call on the Dharavi Redevelopment tender.
The committee suggested to cancel the tender, and they proposed the same to the state government which finally took a call on it.
The CoS has relied its suggestion on the advice by the Advocate General (AG), who advised for fresh tenders.
After floating the tender and receiving bids, the state government acquired 46 acres of land for Rs 800 crore from the Railway.
Post acquiring this land and making it a part of the Redevelopment Project, the advice from the AG was sought, who advised for fresh tenders.
Global tenders were floated in November 2018, for Dharavi Redeveloper Project.
Decision of cancellation of tender hasn’t gone well with residents. Hariram Dilliwala, General Secretary, People’s Responsible Organisation for United Dharavi (PROUD) said, “The common public is upset, this is nothing but making a mockery of the slum dwellers. Our next generation has grown up listening to the promises of redevelopment of Dharavi.”
“The governments are taking us on a ride, they are showing us dreams of redevelopment and at the end they cancel the tenders. People of Dharavi aren’t happy with the news.”
Hariram Dilliwala, General Secretary, People’s Responsible Organisation for United Dharavi (PROUD)
Dharavi is spread over 240 hectare of land and is centrally located. It is close to Bandra Kurla Complex, the financial hub of Mumbai.
In January 2019, DRP had received two tenders of which Seclink group was the frontrunner for the redevelopment of Dharavi which, according to reports had quoted Rs 7,200 crore.
The total project cost was estimated to be above Rs 27,000 crore.
When contacted Hiten Shah of Seclink for their comment he said, “It happens in India.”
Also Read: Dharavi To Get 672 Tenements By January End
