Maharashtra government to ask SRA to redevelop Dharavi

The Maharashtra government is mulling over handing the redevelopment of Asia’s largest slum cluster in Dharavi to the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) in case of a scenario arises where it does not gets any bids from the developers even after five bidding extensions. According to the tentative plan, slum clusters will behanded over to SRA and residents of chawls and buildings can self redevelop the structures.

The state government has till now extended the bidding dates for four times citing zero response. The bids will now be again opened on July 31, 2016.

“According to the norms we can extend bids for five times. Another one-month extension would be given if we do not get any bids on July 31. If even that does not yield any results the state government will take a decision on handing over the redevelopment of for three sectors namely which have maximum slum clusters namely 2,3 and 4 to SRA and sector 1 that has chawls and buildings will be allowed to go ahead with self redevelopment where they can rope in private developers,” said an official from the state housing department.

There are over 57,000slum structures, housing a population of over 3.5 lakh and the slum clusters were divided into five sectors of which sector five is already being redeveloped by the Mahahrashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada)and for remaining four sectors namely 1,2,3 and 4 Dharavi Redevelopment Authority (DRA) was formed.

The state government on January 30, 2016, had floated global tenders of Rs 22,000 crore for which it had opened the bids on March 20, 2016 where it did not find any takers after which four extension have been given till now.

The developers had demanded that extra Floor Space Index (FSI) in terms of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) be allowed in the island city over the existing norms of suburbs, on which the government is yet to take a call. The state government has also blamed the real estate market situation, which is bad presently.