Dharavi redevpt: State tweaks norms for use of Kurla dairy land

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

MUMBAI: A year after allotting 8.5 hectares (21 acres) of the state-owned Mother Dairy plot in Kurla for rehousing residents of Dharavi who will not be eligible for in-situ housing once the slum goes in for redevelopment, the state government has granted several relaxations to the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) -- comprising government of Maharashtra's Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and the Gautam Adani-owned Navbharat Mega Developers Pvt. Ltd (NMDPL), formed in January 2024 to transform Dharavi -- to utilize the plot. The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The major reliefs include allowing transfer of development rights (TDR) on the land in lieu of constructing housing for slum-dwellers following the provisions of 33 (10) (A) of Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034, permission to develop commercial components and their sale in the open market, said people in the know.
On June 14, 2024, the state government approved the transfer of the dairy plot for the project. The land was granted by charging only 25 percent of the ready reckoner rates on grounds that it was of vital public importance.
The plot was granted under Occupancy Class II category of Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, which gives conditional ownership to the occupant – which means the occupant cannot sell the land or sub-lease to a third party. The plot however can be segmented and amalgamated by seeking prior permission from the state government. These conditions have now been relaxed, revealed insiders.
'The state government has made all the provisions under 33(10)(A) of the DCPR 2034 applicable to the plot,' a senior official told Hindustan Times. 'It has also allowed the SPV to load TDR on the plot and construct commercial components there for sale,' he added.
'To facilitate the implementation of the project, the terms and conditions in the earlier resolution (issued on June 14, 2024) and the draft agreement by the Mumbai suburban district collector have been approved for alignment with the policies of the housing and urban development department. This will help maximize the availability of housing for the rehabilitation of Dharavi residents,' stated a release issued by the chief ministers' office (CMO) on Tuesday.
'Around 8.5 lakh families will be rehabilitated under the redevelopment project, of them, 5 lakh eligible families will be rehabilitated within Dharavi itself. Additional land is required to rehabilitate the remaining 3.5 lakh families. The availability of land in Kurla will help make this process easier and more feasible,' it stated further.
Dharavi spans 620 acres, of which 296 acres have been earmarked for redevelopment.