MUMBAI: The BMC informed the state govt that it could immediately hand over five acres of the 18-acre octroi naka land in Mulund for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, reveals information obtained under the RTI Act by activist Sagar Devre.
The letter was written during the Lok Sabha election campaign, when the relocation of “ineligible” Dharavi residents to Mulund had become a major poll issue.
At the time, BJP politicians, including deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, party candidate from Mumbai North East Mihir Kotecha and former MP Kirit Somaiya, had stressed that they would not allow the relocation of Dharavi residents to Mulund.
Somaiya had even obtained information under the RTI Act that as of May 29 the octroi land had not been handed over to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project or Slum Rehabilitation Authority.
It is estimated that three to four lakh ineligible Dharavi residents will need to be provided rental housing outside Dharavi. Somaiya said he had been assured by Fadnavis that Dharavi residents would not be rehabilitated in Mulund.
On Thursday, leader of the opposition in the assembly Vijay Wadettiwar raised the issue of the 21.25 acres of Kurla Dairy land being handed over for the Dharavi rehab projct. Through a point of information, he asked whether former dairy development secretary Tukaram Munde had opposed the transfer of dairy land for the rehabilitation project and whether that was why he was shunted out. “The Shinde govt has started this scheme of giving all govt plots worth crores to Adani in Mumbai. Land worth Rs 2 lakh crore has been given,” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said when the MVA returns to power it will scrap plans to give away BMC properties and any other govt land to Adani.
