Housing for all, promises Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis

MUMBAI: Dharavi redevelopment will take off in the next three months, announced deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday in Mumbai.
Addressing a gathering of party workers at Shanmukhanand Hall at Matunga, Fadnavis who also holds the housing portfolio said all hurdles in the redevelopment of Dharavi will be cleared in the next three months. He assured that all redevelopment projects in the city will get a fillip including redevelopment of slums on central government land.
“Slum dwellers will get ownership flats. Those buildings where redevelopment is stalled and rents have stopped, we will compel the builder to pay rent and revive the redevelopment,” said Fadnavis. Attacking the Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray he said the Shiv Sena is responsible for the Marathi Manoos leaving Mumbai and going to Mira Road and beyond.
“When we had to demolish buildings for Metro Line 3, I changed the design plans and ensured the Marathi Manoos got his home there itself. For 25 years they did not resolve the BDD chawl redevelopment issue. We decided immediately that MHADA will do it,” he said.
He made it clear that the BJP will fight the BMC elections on the corruption plank. Holding the Sena solely responsible for corruption, in the BMC while maintaining silence on the BJP’s 25 year alliance with the former in the corporation, Fadnavis said the corporation is beset with corruption.
“When it rains it takes four hours to reach Colaba in South Mumbai on the Western Express Highway. They have only been eating malai especially during the Covid pandemic. They made profit on the dead. Mumbai’s beautification is necessary but doing it at the same spot to provide jobs to their own…why did you not provide water to the slum dwellers?” asked Fadnavis.
Taking a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray he said some were sad to lose the BMC but not power in the state government, “because they have looted the corporation for 25 years,” he said.
“BMC will no longer belong to a handful or to a family. We shall fulfil the dreams of Balasaheb Thackeray. They had no time for the Aam Mumbaikar,” he said.
Fadnavis said the real Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde had come along with the BJP. “The Chief Minister will be working constantly and you too will have to work constantly,” he told party workers.
The deputy chief minister said as the BMC elections draw near there will be emotional blackmail __ Mumbai to be separated from Maharashtra. Mumbai will not bow before Delhi. “They know it is a lie but will keep saying it. Delhi is the political capital and all chief ministers have gone to Delhi. These dialogues have become dull from repeated use. We are proud of Marathi and regional pride has a place in the BJP,” he said.
On the celebration of Gokulashtami after two years Fadnavis said all festivals will henceforth be celebrated with gusto. Referring to his weight, he said Shelar (Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar) called him Bachchan but his body was more like that of Amjad Khan. “I can still say kitne aadmi the __ out of 65, 50 came away and everything changed.”