16 December,2023 04:47 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Huge crowds were seen participating the protest march on Saturday. Pic/Dipti Singh
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray along with party leader Aaditya Thackeray, Sanjay Raut and other Maharashtra political party leaders including Dharavi Congress MLA Varsha Gaikwad on Saturday held a massive protest march that began from Mumbai's Dharavi.
Uddhav Thackeray had earlier announced to hold a protest march from Dharavi to the Adani Realty office in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The demonstration is a response to what Thackeray alleges is favoritism by the Eknath Shinde government towards Adani Realty in the awarding of the redevelopment project for one of Asia's largest slum.
In a press conference earlier on December 5, Uddhav Thackeray had said that he would lead a march to the Mumbai office of Adani Group on December 16 claiming that the government was apparently favouring the business conglomerate with the Dharavi redevelopment project.
According to the PTI, several suspicious decisions have been taken to favour Adani Group for the Dharavi redevelopment project. It also includes a TDR (Transferable Development Rights) sale clause which will benefit the Adani group significantly.
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"To protect the interest of the residents of the Dharavi area, Shiv Sena will march to the Adani Group office on December 16. I will lead the rally on Saturday," Uddhav Thackeray told reporters, as per the PTI.
The Maharashtra government in July formally awarded the 259-hectare Dharavi redevelopment project to an Adani Group firm.
Uddhav Thackeray wondered whether the state government was trying to favour the Adani Group at the cost of residents of Dharavi, a sprawling slum colony.
"Enough information is available about the Dharavi redevelopment project which raises suspicion about whether the government is trying to benefit Adani at the cost of Dharavi residents, Uddhav Thackeray added.
Notably, Shiv Sena (UBT) ally Congress had last month organised a protest rally in Mumbai demanding the cancellation of the Dharavi redevelopment project contract alleging discrepancies in the issuance of the work order.
The project, which reportedly has a revenue potential of Rs 20,000 crore, involves rebuilding the Dharavi slum sprawl in central Mumbai, located near the BKC business district.
It was won by Adani Properties in November last year through a competitive bidding which also saw realty major DLF and Naman Developers competing.
(with PTI inputs)
