MUMBAI: Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL), a special purpose vehicle set up by the govt with Adani Realty as lead developer and two govt agencies, Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and Slum Rehabilitation Authority, as partners has sought 1,255 acres from different govt agencies to build rental housing for ineligible residents.
“Dharavi has ground-plus-three-four storey structures, but only residents of the ground floor prior to Jan 1, 2000 are eligible for free housing. All residents beyond this date, whether on the ground floor or upper storeys, will be provided rental housing. The residents living in Dharavi between 2000-2011 can get their units on an outright ownership basis on payment of Rs 2.5 lakh as per govt policy. Those beyond 2011 will be provided rental housing with a right to purchase the tenement,” said S V R Srinivas, CEO, Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL).
DRPPL has proposed to set up several townships called Nav Dharavi at different places.
On Thursday, Dharavi residents led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which is part of the Dharavi Bachao Andolan, met Srinivas demanding the survey be carried out in a scientific and transparent manner and the authority place the blueprint in the public domain.
“We do want Dharavi to be redeveloped and all the residents to get better homes within the Dharavi Notified Area. A survey is required to carry out planning for the redevelopment, and we do not oppose it. Our only demand is it must be transparent,” said Shailendra Kamble, member, CPI (M) state committee.
The redevelopment project has become controversial with the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) promising in-situ rehabilitation and scrapping of the bid awarded to Adani. On the other hand, the Mahayuti govt has asked the Centre to provide 283 acres of salt pan land for rental housing; besides, it has sought land from the BMC. The dairy development department has already transferred 21.5 acres to the revenue dept to be transferred to DRPPL.
Srinivas said that various representatives of Dharavi residents have met with him requesting that the survey be accelerated, there should be more communication with the people so they understand what is happening, and various outreach programmes should be held in order to build confidence.
“We shall be ramping up the number of survey teams and will increase them from the present 30-40 to over 100 so that the survey can be completed by the end of the financial year. So far, 10,000 units have been surveyed,” Srinivas said.
