Uddhav Thackeray Vows To Cancel Adani's Dharavi Redevelopment Project If Shiv Sena (UBT) Gains Power

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray announced that if his party takes power in Maharashtra, they will immediately cancel the Dharavi slum redevelopment project tender awarded to Gautam Adani’s firm.

Thackeray emphasized his party’s commitment to ensuring that Dharavi residents and businesses are not displaced during the redevelopment. Dharavi is one of the world’s most densely populated urban areas.

“We will scrap the Dharavi slum redevelopment project tender after coming to power,” Thackeray stated at a press conference on Saturday. “The government must explain why it should not be scrapped now. We will not allow Mumbai to be transformed into an ‘Adani city’.”

Thackeray also criticized additional concessions granted to the Adani Group beyond the contract terms.

“We will not provide further concessions,” Thackeray asserted. “Our priority is the well-being of Dharavi’s residents, and if necessary, we will issue a fresh tender.”

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Nana Patole echoed Thackeray’s sentiments. He noted that the Congress and Rahul Gandhi have taken a clear stance on the Dharavi issue, while the BJP-led coalition government continues to support the project.

“The initial tender for the Dharavi project was awarded to a Dubai-based firm but was later cancelled and given to Adani,” Patole said.

Thackeray expressed concern over the government’s approach to housing allocation, stating that “every home is being assigned a number,” which could entangle Dharavi residents in a web of eligibility issues, ultimately driving them away.

The government has begun acquiring 20 plots in the city for infrastructure development, a move Thackeray argued could worsen the severe space crunch in Mumbai.

The Dharavi project, with a revenue potential of Rs 20,000 crore, involves rebuilding the massive slum near the BKC business district. The tender was awarded to Adani Properties in November 2022 after a competitive bidding process involving realty major DLF and Naman Developers.