The Maharashtra government has informed the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) it will submit a revised proposal for the rehabilitation of slums on rail land needed for the Dharavi redevelopment project.
The government has acquired 45 acres of rail land for the ₹800-crore project, which has been pending for the past two decades. Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta held meetings with RLDA vice chairman V.P. Dudeja on Tuesday and agreed to submit a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR).
“The government has agreed to submit a revised DPR for the Dharavi project. The rehabilitation process can start without further delay,” said a senior railway official.
Last month, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said the government is moving cautiously since bids for the project had already been floated and the acquisition of rail land must not violate the bid conditions. He had told the Legislative Assembly the government was seeking 107 acres but received approval for just 45 acres from the Railways. “We are seeking the opinion of the advocate general on the move to acquire land from the railways,” the CM had said.
Senior railway officials said rehabilitation of slum clusters around Bandra (East) station would also be discussed. The slums have impeded widening of the road leading to the station and have also caught fire in the past. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had demolished the slums along the water pipeline near Bandra station but in the absence of a rehabilitation policy, could not move them. “We have also discussed the matter of slums along the station. The railways is looking for a policy to rehabilitate the slum dwellers. We have informed the State government of the same,” said a source.
Railway officials also discussed the possibility of allotting floor space index of up to 5 for development around the MUTP-3A project. The officials also informed the Maharashtra government to ensure that the reservation of Railway land in the Development Plan is handled appropriately. “The State Government has assured us that it will look into our demands,” said Mr. Dudeja.
