Mumbai, June 16 (IANS) The allegations made by Mumbai North Central MP Varsha Gaikwad about a supposed land grabbing scam and the Maharashtra government granting land to Adani Group under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) have been refuted.

According to sources, no land is going to be handed over to SPV or Adani Group. It will be transferred by the state government to their own department, Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP/SRA).

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Ltd (DRPPL) will pay for the land in lieu of development rights and build facilities like housing, commercials and handover back to government of Maharashtra’s DRP for allotment as per the government scheme.

The state support agreement, which is part of the tender, clearly states that the government of Maharashtra has an obligation to provide land to their own DRP/SRA department.

Here are the real facts that debunk all the myths surrounding this issue:

The allegation is that the government land is given at a highly concessional rate to Adani Group.

The reality is the Railway land is allocated to DRP for which Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Ltd (DRPPL), which is a joint venture between the Maharashtra Government and Adani Group, has paid a hefty premium of 170 per cent to prevailing market rates to the Central government.

As per the tender, DRPPL will have to pay for all lands allocated to DRP/SRA, at rates to be decided by the government.

The allegation is why allocate land across Mumbai to Adani Group when everyone in Dharavi wants in-situ rehabilitation.

The reality is as per the tender norms, no Dharavikar will be displaced. The state GRs (Government Resolutions) of 2018, 2022 and tender conditions clearly spell out eligibility for in-situ rehabilitation.

Holders of tenements in existence on or before January 1, 2000, will be eligible for in-situ rehabilitation.

Those existing between January 2000 and January 1, 2011, will be allotted homes under PMAY (Prime Minister Awas Yojana) outside Dharavi anywhere in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) for just Rs 2.5 lakh or via rental housing.

The tenements which exist post January 1, 2011, till the cut-off date (to be declared by the government) will get homes under the state government’s proposed affordable rental home policy with an option of hire-purchase.

The allegation is that green cover is to be destroyed in the name of Dharavi redevelopment on Railway land.

However, the reality is the project envisages stringent ESG (environmental, social and governance) and environmentally friendly development.

No deforestation is envisaged. In addition, several thousand plants and trees will be added. So far, Adani Group has planted 4.4 million plus trees across India and has committed to add one trillion trees.

The allegation is that no due process was followed by the state government while issuing GR for allotting Kurla Mother Dairy land to Adani Group.

The reality is the land is being allocated to DRP and not Adani Group.

The prescribed process under Maharashtra land Revenue (Disposal of Government Lands) Rules, 1971 was followed before GR was issued.

The allegation is that there should be a 50:50 partnership between the state government and Adani Group in the SPV.

The reality is the tender clearly mentions that the lead partner will bring in 80 per cent equity and the remaining 20 per cent equity will rest with the government.

The allegation is that the survey should be conducted by the government and not by the Adani Group.

The reality is, like in all other SRA projects, DRP/SRA of the government of Maharashtra is conducting the survey, via third party experts and DRPPL is a mere facilitator.

–IANS

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Gorakhpur, June 16 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged all MPs, MLAs, and other public representatives to consistently monitor development and welfare projects in their constituencies.

He said that public representatives should ensure that eligible individuals in their areas benefit from government welfare schemes. He also encouraged them to propose new development initiatives to enhance the progress of the state further.

Addressing public representatives from the Gorakhpur division on Sunday, the Chief Minister congratulated the newly elected MPs and commended the efforts of MLAs who worked diligently during the Lok Sabha elections.

He received updates from all the MLAs present regarding the progress of ongoing development and welfare projects in their respective regions.

Emphasising that development is an ongoing process, he urged the representatives to proactively prepare proposals to cover all potential areas for development.

He highlighted the importance of ensuring that eligible individuals who have not yet benefited from any government scheme are identified and connected to both Central and State government initiatives.

Yogi Adityanath also discussed the assembly-wise performance of the party in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and appealed to all the public representatives to start working on the upcoming target from now on.

The Chief Minister emphasised that in a democracy, the people hold supreme importance.

He underscored the responsibility of representatives to attentively address public issues and expectations, and to propel development and welfare initiatives accordingly.

He noted that public satisfaction is the true measure of a representative’s work and urged them to build and maintain the trust of the people.

–IANS

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Mumbai, June 16 (IANS) The ongoing Dharavi redevelopment project does not involve any land transfer to Adani Group but it was only to the Maharashtra government’s Dharavi Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP/SRA).

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Ltd (DRPPL), which is a joint venture between the Maharashtra Government and Adani Group, is a developer of housing and commercial tenements and it will hand over the same to DRP/SRA of the state government to allocate as per survey findings.

Sources have strongly denied the recent allegations made by Mumbai North Central MP Varsha Gaikwad over the allotment of land for rehabilitation of Dharavi residents within Mumbai.

Sources said that as per the tender, while land remains and stands allocated to DRP/SRA at rates decided by the government, DRPPL has to pay to the government as per demand just for development.

This is as per tender scheme.

In return, DRPPL will get development rights.

The state support agreement, which is part of the tender document, clearly states that, state government will support the project by giving land to their own DRP/SRA department.

The details of multiple and important government resolutions on Dharavi Redevelopment have been conveyed multiple times to the concerned MP.

These include GRs (government resolutions) of 2018 and later of 2022, which gives absolute clarity about the proposed redevelopment of Dharavi and the ensuing rehabilitation of Dharavikars.

As far as the Railway land is concerned, it was allocated to DRP even before tendering for which DRPPL has paid a whopping premium of 170 per cent to the prevailing ready reckoner rates.

And additionally, is developing a world class township there. The allegations that Dharavikars will be thrown out of Dharavi and rendered homeless are pure fiction and a mere figment to create anxiety among masses.

The government’s GR of 2022 depicts a unique condition that each and every tenement holder of Dharavi, eligible or ineligible, will be given a home, a copy of which is also publicly available.

“No Dharavikar will be displaced under the DRP/SRA scheme. This is a unique provision compared to regular SRA scheme wherein only eligible tenement holders were provided a house of up to 300 square feet and it remains in all previous government dispensations,” a source said.

Under the Dharavi redevelopment project, the tenement holders will be provided a house of 350 square feet, which is 17 per cent more than any other SRA scheme in Mumbai.

According to sources, the Dharavi Redevelopment Tender is one of the most progressive in terms of its outlook towards informal settlers of Dharavi.

It is completely pro-people which includes free and highly concessional housing, stamp duty and property tax exemption, ten-year free maintenance and a ten percent commercial area in residential premises to enable the prospective housing societies to have a sustainable revenue stream in addition to the corpus being provided, sources submitted.

The GRs of 2018, 2022 and the tender clearly spells out eligibility for in-situ rehabilitation for tenements in existence on ground floor before January 1, 2000.

Those existing on higher floors and beyond, up to January 1, 2011, will be allotted homes under PMAY outside Dharavi anywhere within MMR for just Rs 2.5 lakh or rental housing as per policy of government of Maharashtra.

Tenements which came into existence between January 1, 2011 and date to be announced by the government of Maharashtra will get homes under state government’s proposed affordable rental home policy with an option of hire-purchase.

The demand for 500 square feet for an informal settlement has no such precedence in Mumbai’s slum redevelopment schemes and thus is only being promoted to cause anxiety among people.

For the eligible tenements of businesses, the government scheme provides for a proper free of cost business place as also a five-year state GST rebate is offered which will result in boosting their profitability, usher them into the formal economy, make them more competitive and offer them multiple growth opportunities.

On deliverables, the tender has put stringent timelines and any violation will attract penalties.

On the allegation that the allotment of a Kurla land was done without following due process by the state government, sources clarified that the facts are otherwise.

Firstly, the land is going to be given to DRP and not Adani Group nor DRPPL.

The process under Maharashtra land Revenue (Disposal of Government Lands) Rules, 1971 was duly followed before issuance of the relevant GR.

“The actual concern and fear of the MP is not for the people of Dharavi or their betterment. The opposition and spreading of such fake narratives is being driven only for electoral ambition to keep the people of Dharavi stay the way they have been with poor or little to almost zero access to basic amenities to lead a dignified life. That is the reason why for so many decades no action was taken to build proper housing for Dharavikars,” said a source.

The MP (referring to Varsha Gaikwad) is also attempting to build a false narrative and throw a spanner in the works of the state government’s scheme to redevelop Dharavi even as its residents are waiting for better houses with world-class amenities for several decades, sources added.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project is a first-of-its-kind initiative that seeks to transform the locality into a world-class city, creating a sustainable and thriving neighborhood while preserving its timeless essence.

The project seeks to improve the quality of life for over one million residents of Dharavi through a human-centric approach.

Also, a number of additional initiatives are being integrated towards sustainable multi modal transport systems, state of art infra on utilities.

Additionally, vocational based skilling is being planned for youth and other wage aspirants of Dharavi to improve their earning potential and facilitate them jobs, which will give them opportunities which are more eco-friendly and benign.

–IANS

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Bhubaneswar, June 16 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday took stock of the arrangements for the annual Rath Yatra celebrations going to be held in July.

The state Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, State Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena, Director General of Police Arun Kumar Sarangi, and Director Intelligence, Saumendra Priyadarsi briefed CM Majhi about the arrangements, the rituals of the Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra and preparations made so far for the smooth conduct of the festivals.

Snana Yatra, also known as ‘Devasnana Purnima’, is the auspicious bathing ritual of Lord Jagannath and the sibling deities.

“The Chief Minister was briefed about the detailed procedure of the rituals and arrangements for the grand annual festival of Rath Yatra by Chief Secretary Jena, DGP Sarangi, and Director Intelligence Priyadarsi. The government will hold meetings with the sevayats and other stakeholders in the coming days for the smooth conduct of the festival this year,” said Harichandan.

Speaking on a large number of devotees following the reopening of four entrance gates at the Jagannath Temple, Harichandan added that no major trouble has been reported at the 12th-century shrine due to the large crowd.

He said that the rush was witnessed due to the consecutive holidays.

He assured that all the arrangements at the shrine would be soon streamlined.

–IANS

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Rajkot, June 16 (IANS) Two officials from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) have been arrested in connection with the TRP Gamezone fire which claimed 27 lives.

The Crime Branch has sought a seven-day remand from a court for both accused officials — assistant town planning officer (ATPO) of RMC, Rajesh Makwana and Jaydish Chaudhary.

“The investigation has revealed that these officials played crucial roles in destroying the original register and creating a fraudulent one, leading to their arrests. The Crime Branch’s demand for a remand period aims to investigate their involvement further and uncover more details related to the incident,” sources said.

In a parallel development, a formal complaint has been lodged against the manager of Rajkot TRP Gamezone, Nitin Jain, at the Shapar police station. The complaint stems from a tragic incident in 2019, where Jain allegedly took Rs 1.6 million from a young man named Satish Vasjalia. When the money was not returned, Vasjalia reportedly committed suicide, leaving behind a note that mentioned Jain and the unpaid loan.

The suicide note has led to renewed scrutiny of Jain’s actions, with the deceased’s family filing an official complaint against him. The Crime Branch is expected to pursue this case as part of the broader investigation into the fire incident.

–IANS

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