Congress slams the government for awarding the Dharavi redevelopment project to Adani Group, alleging monopolistic enrichment.
Agency(New Delhi): The Congress party has sharply criticized the decision to award the Dharavi redevelopment project in Mumbai to the Adani group. The party’s general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favoring the conglomerate, which he referred to as a “Modi-Made Monopoly,” resulting in a financial burden on ordinary Indians. He cited increased costs in areas like electricity and airport charges, allegedly due to over-invoiced coal imports and inflated airport charges by the Adani group.
This attack follows a recent protest in Mumbai against the Adani group’s involvement in the Dharavi project, with the Congress party alleging that it represents “the biggest loot in modern India.” Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has called it the “world’s biggest Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) scam.”
Ramesh also questioned how the Adani conglomerate was selected for the Dharavi project after an initial tender won by another developer was canceled and rebid. He claimed that the Adani group is now being offered a TDR nearly double the size of the initial offer, potentially leading to a 434% profit margin.
He alleged that modifications to Development Control Regulations made by Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, facilitated this increase in TDR, giving the Adani group the freedom to sell TDR anywhere in Mumbai at higher rates. Ramesh claimed that all Mumbai developers would now be forced to buy 40% of their TDR from Adani at exorbitant rates.
The Congress leader also raised concerns about the impact of the project on Dharavi’s residents and businesses. He stated that while Dharavi is a diverse community with substantial annual income, most residents will be evicted, and only a fraction will receive rehabilitation homes within Dharavi.
Furthermore, Ramesh highlighted the absence of an independent citywide assessment of the impact of the TDR creation on Mumbai, which he sees as contravening prevailing rules and court orders. He stressed that this project could significantly deteriorate the quality of life in Mumbai.
In response, the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, under Adani’s management, stated that the project was awarded through a fair and open international bidding by the previous Congress-Shiv Sena coalition government (Maha Vikas Aghadi or MVA). They also clarified that the financial conditions, including obligations and incentives, were consistent for all bidders and have not changed for the awardee.
The Congress party’s criticism reflects ongoing concerns about the project’s transparency, its impact on local communities, and broader implications for market competition and urban development in Mumbai.