The Worli slum redevelopment project was mired in controversy with allegations ranging from issues with land allotment, missing documents, and potential financial losses to the state exchequer
Aaditya Thackeray appealed to the Speaker and the state government to initiate appropriate action. File Pic
Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday alleged "irregularities" in a prominent slum redevelopment project in Worli and demanded corrective action by the Maharashtra government, as per the PTI.
The proposed redevelopment of Subhedar Ramji Ambedkar Nagar couldn't take off earlier as several developers have withdrawn over the last 15 years.
The redevelopment project was mired in controversy with allegations ranging from issues with land allotment, missing documents, and potential financial losses to the state exchequer.
With construction commencing recently, Aaditya Thackeray raised the matter in the legislative assembly, claiming several discrepancies have emerged, including non-payment of rent to project-affected residents for the past six months.
"The original layout plan shown to slum dwellers was altered without proper intimation or approvals. Construction of saleable flats and even bungalows has begun without completing the rehabilitation buildings," he said, according to the PTI.
Aaditya also claimed that around 70 per cent of the land in the project is yet to be handed over to the government and demanded clarification of the status of government-owned land in the project.
Aaditya Thackeray demanded immediate disbursal of the pending rent to affected residents.
He said the construction should follow the original approved plan, with commercial shops at the front and saleable flats at the rear.
Aaditya Thackeray appealed to the Speaker and the state government to initiate appropriate action.
Meanwhile, MLAs and Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai on Tuesday traded barbs in the legislative assembly over the "delay" in securing a Central nod for removing encroachments on defence land in Bandra and rehabilitating slum-dwellers.
Bandra East MLA Varun Sardesai, who belongs to Shiv Sena (UBT), said redevelopment of 9,483 shanties on the 42-acre defence land in his constituency has been held up as the Central government has not transferred this land to the state government.
"You run the government in the Centre and Maharashtra. Why don't you follow up? Will the land be transferred to the state government, and will slum dwellers be relocated? The issue has been pending since 2017," had said Sardesai, according to the PTI.
Responding on behalf of Housing Minister Eknath Shinde, state minister Desai said, "Shinde had sent four letters to the Centre. He has been following up on the matter".
Alluding to the previous MVA government's tenure, he said no follow-up was taken between 2019 and 2022, drawing sharp reaction from Sena (UBT) MLAs.
They hit back, saying Desai was also part of that government (headed by Uddhav Thackeray), the news agency reporte.
(with PTI inputs)
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