will-adani-s-dharavi-project-affect-the-maharashtra-polls

Dharavi, a huge slice of prime land in the heart of Mumbai has often found its way on celluloid, in docu-series and pop culture art. Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly Polls 2024, it was a given that the Dharavi project would find its way in the manifesto, election speeches and political campaigns. The entire timeline of the Dharavi redevelopment project has been marred with allegations, controversies and divisive opinions, all of which got even more volatile and explosive ever since the Maharashtra government awarded the Dharavi redevelopment project to the Adani group in 2022. 

 

The brief timeline of the project

 

It was almost two decades back in 2004-05 when the Maharashtra government gives the go ahead for redevelopment of Dharavi and appointed the Slum Rehabilitation Authority for the same. Several years went by in assessing the population and surveys on the area until 2016 the state government made an attempt to attract investors but failed to garner interest from private developers.

 

In 2018, the state government issued a tender for redevelopment giving a time frame of seven years via a 20% government and 80% private equity.

 

The bids comes down to Dubai’s SecLink and India’s Adani with SecLink’s bid of $871 million, by far higher than Adani’s bid of $548 million. However, in 2020 Maharashtra government canceled the 2018 tender, citing that its acquisition of railway land near Dharavi altered the costs. In 2022, Maharashtra issues a new tender with modified terms and Adani Group emerges as the successful bidder. 

 

In September 2022, after the Adani group emerged as the highest bidder, Adani Realty established a special purpose vehicle (SPV) called the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL) in partnership with the state government’s Dharavi Redevelopment Project Authority. 

 

Aaditya Thackeray — the most vocal opponent 

 

From allegations of lack of transparency in the bidding system to relocation of families in Dharavi, the project has emerged as one of the prominent issues ahead of polls. “One thousand and eighty acres in Mumbai will be allotted free of cost to the Adani group under the Dharavi redevelopment project,’ said Shiv Sena UBT MLA, Aaditya Thackeray who has been the most vocal against the project.

 

“Construction of almost 7 lakh sq ft outside of Dharavi. An earning of almost Rs 1 lakh crore from this, with no revenue for Mumbai. One and a half lakh families in Dharavi will be ineligible and be made to buy homes in Mulund, Kurla, Deonar, Madh, Kanjurmarg, Bhandup. Who is it being developed for?” he questioned during a press briefing last month voicing his concerns about the project which is being executed under public-private ownership. 

 

Dharavi —  The rallying point for MVA 

 

Thackeray has not been the only whistleblower on the bidding process, several investigative reports, news-pieces have been devoted to details like the missing minutes of the meeting for floating and awarding tenders to the terms and conditions in the original documents.

 

The bone of contention between MVA and Mahayuti coalitions, the project has once again become a rallying point for the opposition which has labeled the project as ‘Modani enterprise’ while the Shiv Sena (UBT) has held press conferences, taken to streets in the past to bring attention to the issue.

 

Last month, in another reiteration of his stance, Shiv Sena UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray stated that if Maha Vikas Aghadi government came to power, the tender handed over to Adani group for the redevelopment project will be canceled.

 

When asked about the issues being raised by the opposition on the Dharavi project, Union Minister of Commerce and MP from Mumbai, Piyush Mishra said, “MVA has an anti-slum development agenda. They want poor people to remain poor.”

 

The Mahayuti alliance seems confident that the allegations being made by the opposition on the project will not harm its prospects in the upcoming polls. 

 

On Saturday, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stepped up his attack on the Mahayuti coalition with fresh allegations, while touring the Vidarbha area. Gandhi alleged that the Maharashtra government was toppled to ensure that Dharavi land would be handed over to Adani and MLAs were bought for crores for the same.

 

“I want to inform the people of Maharashtra that their elected government was snatched in a meeting where Adani and Shah were present,” he said, while stirring the proverbial Hornet’s Nest. “I want to ask why was Adani sitting in a political meeting? He only attended the meeting because he wanted Dharavi,” questioned Gandhi. The claim of Adani being present in the meeting was originally made by Ajit Pawar, Deputy CM of Maharashtra who has since backtracked on the statement. 

 

But the allegation immediately found believers and detractors alike on social media. The world’s largest slum, spread over 2.8 sq km, is home to jewelry, leather, pottery and other small scale industries that employ over 100,000 people.

 

The issue, understandably, is neither limited to nor affects only Dharavi’s 259 hectares. It extends to the entire city with far reaching financial implications. It most definitely extends to the upcoming polls, where how much it sways the electorate remains to be seen.