Dharavi MLA Varsha Gaikwad Raises The Issue Of Rehabilitation; Claims Cops Pressuring Dharavi Residents To Vacate Houses (Photo X - ParanjoyGuhaThakurta @paranjoygt)
Varsha Gaikwad, an MLA represents Dharavi in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, on Monday said that the ‘retired cops, encounter specialists’ are pressuring the residents of Dharavi to vacate their houses. She was speaking about the Dharavi redevelopment issues at the Winter Session of the House held in Nagpur.
Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, spread over 2.8 sq km, stands in the heart of Mumbai. In 2004, the state government had made a plan to transform Dharavi into an area of high-rises, providing better infrastructure and facilities. It also decided to relocate the slum dwellers and other establishments in the region.
After years of deliberations, when the Dharavi is all set to transform itself, people in the slum are not sure about their future.
Gaikwad, who is also the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) president, signalled that the party will stage a protest if the residents of the slum are not rehabilitated before the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) kicks off, Indian Express reported.
“Earlier, we used to watch in movies that a builder has an eye on habitation and wants to usurp the land by oppressing people. But Dharavikars have been witnessing and experiencing the same kind of oppression in reality,” Gaikwad said.
The MLA also reminded that though the state government had already paid Rs 800 crore to the Indian railways to provide land for the rehabilitation of Dharavi residents, the slum dwellers are not seeing any moves for themselves to be part of the redevelopment.
Pointing out the rise of fear and uncertainty among the residents of Dharavi, she said: “Many retired police officers and encounter specialists are roaming around Dharavi and they issue some or the other notices to settlements. Talking about the situation in the areas, she added: “There is an air of oppression in the area. It is necessary to rehabilitate the people there before doing the project. The government should direct such groups and tell the people where they will be rehabilitated. If they are not given what they deserve before the project begins, we will protest,”.
