Mumbai, Jan 10: Maharashtra Minister for Cultural Affairs and senior BJP leader Ashish Shelar has strongly criticised the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress for opposing the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), calling their position “contradictory and politically motivated”.
Opposition narrative questioned
On the issue of affordable housing and the displacement of Mumbaikars, Shelar said the opposition’s narrative against the project would “come back to haunt them”, as it conflicted with their own claims about affordable housing, he said in a statement on Saturday.
“The same people say there are no affordable houses in Mumbai. They also say the original Mumbaikar is being thrown out of the city. And yet they oppose redevelopment. Do they think people don’t understand this hypocrisy?” Shelar asked.
Assurance on rehabilitation
The minister asserted that eligible Dharavi residents, including the Marathi-speaking population, would be rehabilitated within Dharavi itself or elsewhere in Mumbai, including through rental housing, and would not be forced to relocate to the city’s outskirts.
“The Marathi manoos staying in Dharavi will get a house in Dharavi itself or within Mumbai,” Shelar said, adding that the slum had grown into Asia’s largest due to decades of Congress misrule.
Project scope and benefits
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project aims to transform the densely populated slum into a planned urban precinct with affordable housing, commercial and non-residential units, entrepreneurial spaces, open areas, schools, parks, roads and a multimodal transport hub.
The state government has termed the project a major boost to Mumbai’s housing stock and urban infrastructure, while generating employment and economic activity.
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Criticism of opposition stance
“Opposing Dharavi redevelopment means opposing redevelopment of the Marathi manoos. It also means opposing cheaper homes in Mumbai, opposing employment opportunities, and opposing the creation of open spaces,” he said.
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