MUMBAI: Chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his statements on the Dharavi redevelopment project and accused the previous MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray of hindering the progress of Maharashtra.
“Rahul Gandhi in his press conference gave misinformation about Dharavi redevelopment project. Dharavi land has been given to DRP and not to Gautam Adani. When Uddhav Thackeray was the CM, only 60,000 people of Dharavi were eligible to get pakka houses and commercial shops in redevelopment project, but we amended the law to give houses to two lakh Dharavikars,” Shinde said.
He asked why the MVA government cancelled the tender for Dharavi project after issuing it. “When the MVA was in power, they held meeting with Adani for this redevelopment project, but now it is opposing the perject. Where did the deal fizzle out? People should know about it,” he said.
“Residents of Dharavi are staying in very bad condition, they urgently need to be given good and bigger houses. We have to uplift their living condition, but not to force them to stay in the same place. Why MVA is protesting against Dharavi project?” the CM asked. “Dharavi project is a world-class project and it has been also given special status as well. They (MVA) did not get money, hence they are opposing the project,” he alleged.
Shinde claimed that the Thackeray-led MVA government blocked development projects worth over Rs 8. 89 lakh crore, but Mahayuti removed the bottlenecks and put the state on the path of development again.
The MahaYuti CM said, “MVA in its two and a half years of rule stopped the Mumbai- Ahmedabad bullet train project, Jaitapur nuclear power plant, Barsu refinery, Gadharan port, Dharavi redevelopment, Gargai dam, and Mumbai Central public park. As a result, Maharashtra lost the 1.4 lakh jobs these projects would have generated. Besides, the cost of the projects got escalated and the burden will borne by honest tax payers.”
On the farmers issue raised by the Opposition, Shinde said the Centre has given permission to start soybean procurement to ensure government rates to the farmers. The Cotton Corporation of India will purchase medium-thread cotton at Rs 7,121 per quintal and long-thread cotton at Rs 7,521.
The chief minister Eknath Shinde mocked Rahul Gandhi for bringing a safe to a press conference and said the he would have found something valuable if it was brought from Matoshree (Bandra residence of Uddhav Thackeray).