Maharashtra CM approves Dharavi master plan

MUMBAI
: CM Fadnavis approved the
Dharavi redevelopment
master plan, after a detailed presentation by SVR Srinivas, Dharavi Redevelopment Project CEO, Wednesday night and stressed that it should preserve the basic commercial identity of Dharavi and its original features.
"Everyone who is the original resident of this place should be given a house. Everyone should get justice... though criteria will be different," said Fadnavis, according to a press release.
Sources said the first tranche of slum rehabilitation buildings is being constructed on a 28-acre railway land at Mahim. Each eligible household will be given a 350 sq ft home with two toilets. It means, it might be the end of the crowded public toilet blocks, which have been a common feature of Dharavi.
A detailed presentation on the
Dharavi master plan
was made by Dharavi Redevelopment Project CEO and chairman of Navbharat Mega Developers Pvt Ltd (NMDPL), SVR Srinivas, at Sahyadri state guest house. Dy CM Eknath Shinde, who is also the urban development and housing minister, was present for the meeting.
Local body elections, including those for BMC, will be held later this year.
A press release stated that CM
Devendra Fadnavis
directed the Dharavi redevelopment to be done in an environmentally friendly manner, integrating its commercial sector. He said priority should be given to the rehabilitation of skilled artisans. "Everyone who is the original resident of this place should be given a house. Everyone in Dharavi should get justice in the rehabilitation project; everyone here will be eligible for this redevelopment project, though criteria will be different," said Fadnavis, as per the press release.
Fadnavis emphasised that the concept of Dharavi development project should be implemented by preserving the basic commercial identity of Dharavi and its original features. "For this, the relevant agencies should maintain the necessary coordination. Development works should be carried out in a coordinated manner by taking local people into confidence and preserving the public sentiment," he said.
Sources said the govt will decide on the publication of the Dharavi master plan. To make the project "viable", the govt has given a slew of incentives, including the waiver of all premiums besides reimbursement of the state's share of GST for five years. "In a normal slum rehab scheme, the developer has to pay 25% of the Ready Reckoner Rate as a premium for the plot. BMC owns nearly 60% of the land in Dharavi. Since all premiums have been waived for the project, BMC will not earn any revenue for its land," said sources.
The govt has also approved the mandatory first use of Dharavi TDR for all redevelopment projects in the city. TDR will not be marked as slum TDR; rather, it will be priced as per the plot on which it is used. This is likely to raise the cost of flats in Mumbai. Further, BMC, in its objections/suggestions to the govt, said mandatory first use of Dharavi (40%) and Slum (20%) TDR will make it difficult to implement the Development Plan - 2034 in terms of acquisition of land for civic infrastructure and public amenities.
There has been opposition from several areas within Dharavi to the survey. One of the most well-known sectors, Kumbharwada, has opposed the survey. Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad termed it "the biggest real estate grab in history. A Vinash project to expand Adani's empire in the heart of Mumbai, displacing lakhs of people in the process". "The approval violates provisions of the MRTP, which states that any new draft master plan must be subject to public scrutiny," she said.
However, critics of the project said If the survey is not yet complete, how was the master plan prepared? What is the basis for its approval? How can land use planning be determined based on old surveys or incomplete information? Dharavi MLA Jyoti Gaikwad said "Without consultation, without a completed survey, and in total violation of legal process, the CM has approved Adani's so-called master plan for Dharavi; a plan not for development, but for displacement."

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