Adani Dharavi Redevelopment: Open Bidding, Previous Govt Awarded

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Adani Group on Saturday said the Dharavi slum redevelopment project was awarded to it by the previous Congress-Shiv Sena coalition government (Maha Vikas Aghadi or MVA) through a fair and open international bidding.

In a statement, a spokesperson of Adani's Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL) said financial conditions, including the obligations and incentives, were known to all bidders and had not changed for the awardee.

This came on a day when Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) took a street march from Dharavi to Adani's office in Mumbai to protest Maharashtra government's allegedly favouring the conglomerate.

"The Dharavi project was awarded to the Adani Group through a fair, open, internationally competitive bidding process," the statement said.

"It is important to note that the tender conditions were finalised during the tenure of the MVA government, which demitted office at the end of June 2022. The finalised conditions, including the obligations and incentives, which were known to all the bidders, have not been changed for the awardee post the tendering process. Hence, it is wrong to claim that any special benefits have been given to the awardee."

Redevelopment of Dharavi aims at converting the world's largest slum into a modern city hub and resettling its 1 million residents.

"It is unfortunate that a concerted effort is being made to disseminate misinformation about certain aspects of the project. It is reiterated that all eligible tenement holders will be provided with a key-to-key solution, which means they will move into their new homes in Dharavi itself," the statement said.

As per the tender conditions, even ineligible tenement holders will be provided accommodation under the Rental Housing Policy. The tender provisions also ensure that eligible residential tenements will receive 17 per cent more area than other SRA projects in Mumbai. Further, the generation and usage of TDR are as per the tender conditions and fully compliant with the relevant laws.

"Moreover, the resettlement of Dharavikars is not affected by Transferable Development Rights (TDR)," it said.

"Also, the TDR from the project will be managed and monitored transparently through a specially created portal by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and the Maharashtra government."

The state government has entered into a 99-year lease agreement with the Indian Railways, and then it will be subleased on 30 years+30 years basis like any other government land in Mumbai to the housing societies. "There is no change in this policy for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project," the statement said.

"There is a general consensus, not only in Mumbai and Maharashtra but also across the whole of India, for transforming Dharavi and providing the people of Dharavi better living conditions, adequate hygiene, education and vocational training, healthcare, employment opportunities, essential amenities and a life of dignity.

"The Dharavi project assumes added significance because many earlier attempts have failed to deliver. It is against this backdrop that the Adani Group has taken up the challenge and the responsibility of transforming Dharavi with all the above facilities," the statement added.