The Congress on Tuesday demanded a moratorium on the Dharavi slum redevelopment master plan, alleging that the project was approved without consulting the residents.
Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad appealed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to hold a public hearing on the master plan, claiming that mandatory provisions under MRTP Act were ignored and an old approval order was passed by the government.
"The people of Dharavi will expose the brass of this demolition model. This is not development, but a well-planned mega scam. This is the most unjust displacement master plan in India's urban history," Gaikwad stated on X.
She claimed the government ignored the opposition of the majority of residents and rejected all avenues of public dialogue, discussion and public participation.
"How can this project, which will determine the fate of millions of Dharavi residents, be approved without any public consultation or taking the project-affected people into confidence?" she asked.
She said taking public suggestions and objections on the draft development plan is a mandatory process under the MRTP (Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices) Act.
"So why is an old approval order being passed by skipping this process? Isn't this fraud? Isn't this betrayal of trust".
Gaikwad claimed the feasibility study has not even been completed yet and not a single public consultation meeting has been held.
"So how was the master plan prepared? On what data? On whose instructions? The survey process itself is being carried out in a very opaque manner. As per the established rules, the eligibility survey process in such projects is done by government agencies (land-owning government agencies), but here the private parties conducted the survey for the DRP," the Congress MP said.
She alleged that the people of Dharavi were threatened to participate in this survey.
"Yet even after three years, the survey documentation of only 40 per cent of the flats has been completed. This is clear evidence of the strong dissatisfaction among the people against this project," she said.
Gaikwad said Dharavi is the "skill capital of India" which reflects the truth of MakeInIndia as many small-scale industries are located in the slum sprawl.
"Mumbai's micro economy runs from here due to numerous industries. But this government has planned to erase this identity of Dharavi," she charged.
Gaikwad demanded that the government announce the list of eligible and ineligible people under the redevelopment project. "They should put a moratorium on the master plan and invite public suggestions and objections".
Navbharat Mega Developers Private Ltd is executing the redevelopment project as a special purpose vehicle between the state government mentioned and the Adani group.
Fadnavis, who approved the master plan last week, said the redevelopment will ensure Dharavi doesn't lose its soul.
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