Maharashtra Government Secures Lease for Salt Pan Lands from Centre for Dharavi Redevelopment

In a significant move toward the Dharavi slum redevelopment project, the Maharashtra cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, approved a proposal on Monday. The proposal, put forth by the state housing department, entails the acquisition of 283.40 acres of salt pan lands in Mumbai from the Union government on a 99-year lease for rehabilitation purposes.

The official statement revealed that a separate proposal, focusing on the utilization of the salt pan lands for the rehabilitation of select Dharavi residents as part of the slum redevelopment initiative, will be submitted to the Union government shortly.

To recover the market value of the 283.40 acres of lands, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed for the Dharavi slum colony's redevelopment will be responsible. Following this, the recovered amount will be transferred to the Centre.

Last July, the Maharashtra government formally granted the Dharavi redevelopment project, spanning 259 hectares, to an Adani group firm. The extensive project, slated to be executed by an SPV, aims to rebuild Dharavi, Asia's largest slum sprawl located in central Mumbai.

HBL