Mumbai: The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) launched an investigation by the deputy collector (Encroachments) following complaints of demolished huts being re-erected and occupants who moved into these structures being declared eligible for free housing under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP).Activist and founder-member of Manohar Joshi College, Baburao Mane, in a complaint to SRA, alleged that occupants of huts partially demolished by Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada), huts which do not exist on survey maps or on the ground, a temple shown as a hut, and, as recent as January 29, a staircase fitted with a door and the area around it plastered to show a hut, were being made eligible for free housing. Manohar Joshi College is adjacent to Shatabdi Nagar, where the “dealings in demolished huts” are being carried out in connivance with DRP officials, alleged Mane. Shatabdi Nagar is a slum originally comprising approximately 800 huts abutting the arterial Loop Road in Dharavi.“Almost a decade ago, Mhada, which was assigned to redevelop Sector Five in Dharavi, took up the redevelopment of Shatabdi Nagar. For this, it carried out a survey to ascertain eligibility for free housing. The survey found there were 800 huts. Over 300 families were moved into one of the rehab towers built by Mhada. However, Mhada did not completely demolish the huts that were vacated, with the result that three to four years ago, new families moved in, putting plastic/fibre sheets as roofs. Later, the state government decided to give all of Dharavi to Adani Realty for redevelopment,” said Mane.In October last year, Mane was approached by local residents who complained that while they were eligible and awaiting allotment of tenements, those who moved in recently were being given keys to tenements in the towers built by Mhada. Mane, along with the residents, then began studying Mhada’s eligible list and the new list prepared by DRP. “Mhada gave a number to each hut. We found that the same numbers are now repeated with the addition of A. So, for instance, if the original number was V/J/664, it is now V/J/664A. This means there is hut number 664 and hut number 664A. We scrutinised the new list of eligible tenants and found that those who shifted recently were declared eligible. Hence, I lodged a written complaint with SRA in December last year. All this could not happen without the collusion of DRP officials,” said Mane, alleging that while SRA has announced an inquiry, it is dragging its feet on it.DRP secretary Vipin Paliwal, however, said the inquiry is underway. “There was a survey done by Mhada and then by other agencies. It is complex, and we are looking into it. We shall certainly be publishing the report,” he said, though he refused to give a timeline. A spokesperson of Navbharat Mega Developers Pvt Ltd, a special purpose vehicle between Maharashtra government and the Adani Group for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, said: “NMDPL has no role in respect of Shatabdi Nagar residents shifting to Mhada transit buildings as all survey works were conducted much prior to us arriving into the Dharavi contract. NMDPL has not conducted the survey in Shatabdi Nagar. The allotment of transit homes is basis the legacy survey.“
