The State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has approved changes to the terms and conditions of the land transfer agreement involving 8.5 hectares of land owned by the Department of Dairy Development in Kurla. The land will be allocated to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project to facilitate the rehabilitation of both eligible and ineligible residents.
Originally transferred under a government resolution dated June 14, 2024, the plot — previously home to the Mother Dairy unit — will now see revised contract clauses to align with the housing and urban development policy. These amendments aim to ease the implementation of the sprawling Dharavi redevelopment effort, which plans to rehabilitate approximately 8.5 lakh families.
Of these, 5 lakh eligible families will be resettled within Dharavi itself, while 3.5 lakh others will require relocation to other areas. The Kurla land transfer is expected to significantly assist in resettling some of these displaced families. The state government has emphasized that, in line with its "Housing for All" policy, the land will also be used to build essential urban infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and commercial complexes.
However, the decision has sparked political controversy.
Reacting strongly on social media platform X, Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad accused the government of favoring corporate interests, particularly those of the Adani Group. “The Adani Maha Loot in Mumbai continues…,” she wrote, alleging that the eco-sensitive green patch, home to over 1,000 trees, is being sacrificed to benefit what she described as "PM's BFF."
Gaikwad condemned the move as another example of environmental destruction, likening it to the contentious Aarey forest episode. She claimed that despite strong local opposition and public protests in Nehru Nagar, the government used police force to suppress dissent and moved ahead with the project.
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“Residents demanded that this lush green land be preserved as a public park. Instead, the government bulldozed resistance, forcefully demarcated the land, and now approved its sub-leasing — all to benefit Adani,” she alleged.
The Congress leader also targeted local Shiv Sena MLA Mangesh Kudalkar from the Eknath Shinde faction, accusing him of misleading the public by claiming the land transfer had been halted.
“This is clearly a government of Adani, for Adani, and by Adani — selling the rights, lands, and future of Mumbaikars for one man’s gain,” Gaikwad wrote.
