25.02.2010 Dharavi Revamp gets a push

Bidding for the sector-wise revamp of Dharavi will take place in three months.

State government officials said it has decided to start with Sector 5 because it is small, lucrative—it borders the Bandra-Kurla Complex--and the residents here are least resistant to the redevelopment plan.

With this, the Rs 15,000-crore revamp plan, conceived in 2004, will finally take off.

Dinesh Prabhu, coordinator of Mashal, the non-governmental organisation that conducted biometric survey of this area told Hindustan Times this sector would serve as a model for the other sectors. “The residents are pro-development unlike other sectors and the area is accessible as it is close to LBS road and Sion station,” said Prabhu. “Since it is near Bandra-Kurla Complex, it will also ensure intense competition among bidders.”

Sector five is spread over 62 hectares with 9,300 tenements. Of this, 23 hectares will be developed. The redevelopment sub-committee had decided to develop the slum one sector at a time because there are only seven bidders left of the initial 19. The government wanted to avoid the formation of a builder cartel, which would have happened if all five sectors were thrown open for bidding at once.

The sub-committee also decided to hike the premium rate for bidding to Rs 2,000 per square feet from Rs 450, a rate it had proposed in 2007.

State Housing Secretary, Sitaram Kunte, refused to elaborate on the sub-committees recommendations but said Dharavi project is on. “We are serious about implementing the project and a meeting in this regard will take place shortly,” he said.

He said a notification for increasing the Floor Space Index for the project will be published in the state Gazette on Thursday.