Dharavi Redevelopment Project: Dharavi MP Varsha Gaikwad, Opp leaders meet CM; seek masterplan rollback
A delegation led by senior Congress leader and Dharavi Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad on Monday met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and demanded withdrawal of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project's masterplan approved by the government last week, terming it 'undemocratic', 'opaque' and in violation of legal norms.
The Opposition delegation met Fadnavis at Sahyadri Guest House and submitted a formal representation alleging that the Dharavi Redevelopment Project — referred to in the letter as the 'Dharavi Vinash Yojana' — was being pushed forward without the consent of Dharavi's residents and in violation of provisions of the MRTP Act.
'We sought the government's approval to the Dharavi plan to be rolled back immediately. The people of Dharavi have not been taken into confidence. They deserve to have a say in shaping their future,' Gaikwad said after the meeting, adding that the approval to the masterplan was done secretively and without disclosure, bypassing essential steps such as public hearings and environmental assessments.
The MRTP Act mandates public consultations before preparing any development plan. However, residents were not informed or invited to submit suggestions or objections, the delegation said. The masterplan lacks statutory sanction and is, therefore, unconstitutional and illegal, it argued.
The memorandum said that so far only 15,171 households have been surveyed and the surveys were allegedly conducted three years ago, many done by private contractors or institutes without a clear mechanism for public verification.
The memorandum also alleged the masterplan lacks clarity on ownership and rights and hence is potentially exploitative. The delegation accused the government of prioritising profit over people.
The delegation demanded that apart from withdrawing the masterplan, the government must restart the planning process under the MRTP Act with proper public notices, hearings and transparency, and demanded that a fresh, third-party survey and audit of the area be conducted.
'I am not opposing redevelopment,' Gaikwad clarified. 'But this is not how it should be done. No democratic process can allow such a large-scale transformation without public participation. Dharavi must not be seen as real estate but as a living community,' she said, adding that the government must ensure full legal rights and consent from residents before taking any further steps.
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