Mumbai: The BMC proposal to lease 15 acres of reclaimed land at the Mulund dumping ground to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) for five years to set up a casting yard, precast element manufacturing facility and ready-mix concrete (RMC) plant ran into stiff opposition from Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress members during the civic improvements committee meeting on Tuesday.The land is proposed to be leased to Navbharat Mega Developers Pvt Ltd, the special purpose vehicle of the Adani Group that is implementing the Dharavi redevelopment project in partnership with the state government.Committee chairperson Sandhya Doshi, a Shiv Sena corporator, decided to ‘not take’ the proposal in Tuesday’s meeting.Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Sachin Padwal asked why Mulund was being asked to shoulder the burden of another major infrastructure project. “How much should Mulund residents suffer? Salt pan land has already been earmarked for the rehabilitation component of the Dharavi redevelopment. This is a test for BJP corporators and MLAs who had promised voters that Dharavi redevelopment activities would not be shifted to Mulund. Why are they silent now?” Padwal said.He alleged that public land once handed over for such projects rarely returns to the civic body. “Why give precious public land to private companies? The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board’s permission has not even been obtained yet,” he added.Leader of the opposition Ashraf Azmi, a Congress corporator, accused the civic administration of favouring a private developer. “Once again, land is being readied to benefit Adani. At least charge a proper market rate instead of offering it at concessional rates. It is difficult to understand why a casting yard is required so far away from the Dharavi redevelopment site. Gradually, all public plots will be handed over and never come back. This land belongs to Mumbaikars,” Azmi said, directing his remarks at the BJP-Shiv Sena-led ruling combine.Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Vishakha Raut questioned the proposal, asking why no tender had been floated before handing over the plot. She further expressed concern that the movement of RMC trucks would significantly worsen traffic congestion in Mulund.Congress corporator Raja Rahebar Khan said the government was increasingly using public land for project-related facilities instead of requiring developers to procure land themselves. Referring to previous infrastructure projects like the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, he claimed that land allotted for casting yards had not been returned for public use even after project completion.The proposal seeks to lease 15 acres of reclaimed land at the Mulund dumping ground for five years to establish project support facilities, including a casting yard, precast manufacturing unit and RMC plant, for the Dharavi redevelopment project. The proposal is expected to be taken up for further consideration by the civic body.Committee chairperson Sandhya Doshi said that she believes in taking everyone’s suggestions. “Hence the proposal wasn’t taken up today and will be tabled again in one of the upcoming meetings,” she said.
