Dharavi revamp: Aaditya Thackeray seeks Rs 5,000 crore premium for Mumbai civic body

The tender for the Dharavi slum redevelopment project was awarded to the Adani Group, which is a majority stakeholder in the Special Purpose Unit. 

In Short

• Aaditya Thackeray says Mumbai civic body owns 70% of land given to Dharavi project
• Demands Rs 5,000 premium be paid to civic body, not Special Purpose Unit
• Says if MVA returns to power, it will rethink slum redevelopment project

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Monday called for Rs 5,000 crore premium to be paid to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), saying around 70 per cent of land allotted for the Dharavi redevelopment project is owned by the civic body.

He also objected to a clause that the premium for the land, as the tender document of the infrastructure project suggests, is to be paid to the Special Purpose Unit, and not to the BMC or Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).

The tender for the Dharavi slum redevelopment project was awarded to the Adani Group, which is a majority stakeholder in the Special Purpose Unit.

"As per Development Control Rules (DCR) 2024, the BMC is due to get 25 per cent of land premium based on the Ready Reckoner Rate (RRR) and 70 per cent of the net premium for this project. On the basis of some basic calculations, the total amount that the BMC must get from Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd in lieu of land premium and net premium is approximately Rs 5,000 crores", Thackeray said in a letter to BMC Commissioner, Bhushan Gagrani.

He further pointed out that the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project and not being executed by any public authority, but by a private company with a 51 per cent stake. Hence, any decision to exempt the firm from paying premiums to the BMC is unfair, he stated.

The private company has asked for more than 1,060 acres of land across Mumbai, free of cost, from which it will earn revenue, but the BMC will own the burden of providing electricity and water, he contended.

"Why should the BMC and the MHADA let go of their premium? Today, BMC employees are not getting their salary on time. There is a burden on BEST. So, in the form of premium, the BMC should get Rs 5,000 crores. At the same time, the MHADA should get Rs 1,000 to 2,000 crores. But Adani will take this money himself", he added.

Aaditya Thackery further asserted that once the Maha Vikas Aghadi (Shiv Sena UBT, NCP-Sharad Pawar, and Congress) comes to power, they will rethink the Dharavi redevelopment project.

"The project is for people. Not to give benefits to corporates. There are 23 land parcels given to Adani as of now. The government gives land to Adani in every cabinet", he claimed.

In July, Aditya Thackeray's father and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray declared that if his party came to power in Maharashtra, the controversial slum redevelopment project would be promptly scrapped, and fresh tenders would be issued.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) spokesperson Dr Manisha Kayande hit out at the Maharashtra Opposition for putting obstructions in the way of development projects like the Dharavi and Metro 3 projects.

Dr Kayande said that Aaditya Thackeray delayed the metro project and that he should take blame for the costs that have increased by Rs 14,000 crore.

"Aaditya Thackeray was born with a silver spoon. Those who have only taken local trains three times in their lives, are disconnected from the realities faced by the common people. Before questioning the government about the Rs 1.5 crore Davos trip, he should first account for the Rs 14,000 crore additional expenditure due to the obstruction of Metro-3 during the Mahavikas Aghadi government in the state".

The ruling Mahayuti government (BJP, Shinde Sena, NCP-Ajit Pawar) has already rejected the Opposition's charge that additional land concessions were extended to Adani Properties.

The Dharavi project, which is said to have a revenue potential of Rs 20,000 crore, involves rebuilding of the massive slum sprawl in central Mumbai, located near the BKC business district.

The tender was awarded to Adani Properties in November 2022 after a competitive bidding that also saw realty majors DLF and Naman Developers taking part.