Dharavi redevelopment tender scrapped, Maharashtra government to invite fresh bids

The Maharashtra Cabinet on October 29 approved scrapping of a tender process for the long-pending Dharavi slum redevelopment project. The state government also approved the invitation of fresh bids.

The decision was taken by a committee of secretaries in August.

"[The] decision to revise the terms and conditions and float tenders afresh was finalized today," an official told news agency PTI.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Committee, a federation of 52 associations of residents, had opposed the committee's decision, saying it would further delay the project which is pending for 16 years. Under the proposed redevelopment, 67,000 families living in Dharavi were to get 350 sq. ft. houses.

In October 2018, the then Devendra Fadnavis-led state government had decided to initiate redevelopment of Mumbai's Dharavi area, considered one of Asia's largest slums. Dubai-based Seclink Technologies Corporation, backed by a royal family of the United Arab Emirates, had emerged as highest bidder for the project. The plan was to redevelop the slum spread over 593 acres. Subsequently, the state housing department had floated a Special Purpose Vehicle for the project in November 2018.

According to a report by PTI, Seclink said it would bid afresh. In January, Seclink had cried foul and accused Maharashtra’s bureaucracy of trying to sabotage the current bidding process. The Dubai-based company was reportedly afraid of losing the contract to the only other bidder for this project – the Adani Infrastructure and Developers Private Limited.