(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Dharavi slum redevelopment project may face an extensive revamp if the Maha Vikas Aghadi returns to power in Maharashtra. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray insisted on Saturday that his party would to cancel the tender allocated to Gautam Adani and prioritise the wellbeing of Dharavi residents. The assertions come mere days after fellow MVA leader Prithviraj Chavan dubbed the project a“big scam” and demanded a white paper on the matter.

“We will scrap Dharavi slum redevelopment project tender after coming to power. The government should give an answer as to why it should not be scrapped now itself. We will not allow Mumbai to be turned into Adani city,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief asserted.

The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) - both part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi - have been vehement in their opposition for the multi-billion dollar Dharavi redevelopment project.

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Earlier this month Chavan had also told the Maharashtra Assembly that "the entire project will be scrapped" when the next government came to power in October. He claimed that government land was being given to industrialists at very low prices and all revenue entitled to the government has been waived.

Meanwhile sources close to the project told news agency ANI earlier this week that the project involved no land transfer to Special Purpose Vehicle created for the project or the Adani group . Officials said that land transfer would be done to Dharavi Redevelopment Project/slum rehabilitation authority which is part of Maharashtra government housing department.

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Thackeray also claimed on Saturday that the Adani Group had been given 'additional concessions' that were not specified in the tender .

“Is it Dharavi redevelopment or Ladka Mitra Yojna (favourite friend scheme)? We will not give additional concessions. We will see what is good for residents of Dharavi and if need arises we will issue a fresh tender,” he added.

The Thackeray-led party is a member of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi which also includes the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP). Maharashtra assembly polls are likely to be held in October.

(With inputs from agencies)

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