Dharavi residents won’t get ownership of houses: Gaikwad
Dharavi MLA Varsha Gaikwad alleges Dharavi residents won't get full ownership of houses in Adani Realty's redevelopment due to railway land issue.
Mumbai: Dharavi MLA and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad on Saturday alleged that Dharavi residents will not get full ownership of their houses once Adani Realty redevelops Asia’s largest slum settlement as a large part of the land belongs to the railways, which has barred subleasing.

“On February 20, the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) wrote to the CEO, Dharavi Redevelopment Project Authority (DRPA), making it clear that the Adani-led Dharavi SPV cannot sublease the 47.5-acre railway land, which is to be utilised for the project, to end-users. This means that the rehabilitation buildings, constructed on the railway land, will never get an absolute and marketable title. In other words, Dharavikars allotted rehabilitation apartments on this portion of the land will never get full ownership rights for their apartments,” Gaikwad stated in a post on X.
The RLDA and the Dharavi SPV were continuing to spar over shifting thousands of families residing in the railway quarters in Matunga within the notified area, she added.
“We have repeatedly highlighted how the Modani Redevelopment Megascam in Dharavi is trampling on the rights of Dharavikars. We have already exposed how this ill-conceived project will cause displacement of over 7 lakh people who live and work in Dharavi. It now turns out that even those ‘eligible’ for rehabilitation within the Dharavi Notified Area may not get full ownership rights over their rehabilitation apartments,” she stated.
Adani Realty has bagged the contract to redevelop Dharavi, while both the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are opposed to the project.
“We won’t allow displacement of even a single person from Dharavi. Rehabilitation component should not be built on the railway land portion. Families residing in railway quarters should not be shifted until their permanent resettlement plan is finalised and approved,” she said.
Adani Realty spokespersons refused to comment on the issue.

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