Maharashtra govt gives nod to revised terms for Mother Dairy plot for Dharavi redevelopment

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday gave nod to the revised terms and conditions for an 85hectare plot of Mother Dairy meant to be used for rehabilitating ineligible slum dwellers under which amenities like school hospital and shopping complex will be built there reported news agency PTIThe approval was given at a state cabinet meeting in MumbaiIn June last year the state government issued a Government Resolution GR under which the plot in suburban Kurla was handed over to the Slum Rehabilitation Authority SRA for rehabilitating slumdwellers of Dharavi under the redevelopment plan of Indias largest slum cluster reported PTIA statement from the Chief Ministers Office CMO said under the ambitious Dharavi redevelopment project 85 lakh families have to be rehabilitatedOf these 85 lakh families five lakh are eligible to be rehabilitated in Dharavi itself There is a need for additional land to rehabilitate additional 35 lakh families One of the land parcels for rehabilitating these 35 lakh families is Kurlas Mother Dairy project it said reported PTIFor this the policy of home of all ineligible families is being followed They will not only get a house but also other amenities like school hospital and shopping complex the statement said reported PTICity Congress president and Mumbai NorthCentral Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad whose constituency covers Dharavi slammed the BJPled Mahayuti government and alleged conspiracy behind the redevelopment project to benefit one person reported PTIShe noted Dharavi residents have been demanding houses in the sprawling slum colony itself in the heart of Mumbai and alleged state and central government land parcels are being given for the project at cheaper prices reported PTIGaikwad asserted the move to use the Mother Dairy land is being opposed by local residents also and claimed over 1000 trees will be cut for the projectThe opposition Congress and its ally Shiv Sena UBT have been opposing the move to rehabilitate Dharavi residents out of the slum clusterThe multibillion Dharavi redevelopment project is being executed by the Adani groupKurla MLA Mangesh Kudalkar of the Shiv Sena a ruling coalition partner too had opposed the move when the state government issued the GR in June last year reported PTIKudalkar said he had been demanding a botanical garden a civic hospital and sports complex at the Mother Dairy site rather than using the land for the rehabilitation of Dharavi residents The legislator had said the site has some 700800 trees which should not be cutMother Dairy commissioned in 1974 is a whollyowned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board NDDB declared an institution of national importance by an Act of ParliamentThe Kurla MLA told PTI that he had raised the issue with thenchief minister and incumbent deputy CM Eknath Shinde who had assured a hospital and a botanical garden will be built at the siteIn another decision the cabinet approved extending toll waiver at five entry points in Mumbai till September 17 2029 The toll waiver decision had come into force from October 14 2024 days before the state assembly pollsThe state government had formed a panel headed by the chief secretary to recommend ways to offset the losses suffered by MEP Infrastructure Pvt Ltd which manages the entry points in lieu of maintaining 27 flyovers and related works in MumbaiThe contract with the company which commenced on October 19 2010 is scheduled to end on November 18 2026With inputs from PTI