Mumbai, Apr 20 (PTI) Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad has alleged that Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal threatened a city resident demonstrating against
a redevelopment project.
Gaikwad's reaction came after a video showed Jaiswal addressing a Motilal Nagar resident, who was holding a placard, in a threatening tone.
The bureaucrat asked the police to check the person’s identity card. ”If you turn out to be a ghuskhor (illegal migrant), will take you out of here itself," Jaiswal said.
A presentation for the redevelopment of Motilal Nagar at Goregaon (West) in Mumbai was held in the area in Jaiswal's presence on Friday.
Gaikwad, in a post on X on Sunday, claimed that officials were being used to intimidate residents protesting against land acquisition and redevelopment plans.
“Once a project goes to Adani, citizens lose all their democratic rights and cannot even protest,” she charged.
The Adani group has partnered with MHADA to redevelop Motilal Nagar spread across 143 acres.
Gaikwad further alleged that similar instances of intimidation were witnessed during surveys linked to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
She claimed that police personnel threatened residents who participated in protests and that a senior police inspector in Shahu Nagar behaved “rudely” with elected representatives.
Residents were being told that they could not challenge decisions related to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project in court, the Congress leader further claimed.
“If a project belongs to a friend of the Prime Minister, do citizens have no rights left? What kind of dictatorship is this?” she asked.
BJP MLC Pravin Darekar also took objection to Jaiswal’s behaviour.
“The bureaucrat's language was inappropriate. He should apologise to the residents,” Darekar told reporters on Sunday.
According to sources, the protester was among a few residents demanding that the approved area in the redevelopment for them be increased from 1,600 sqft to 2,400 sqft.
However, after Jaiswal left, some other residents came on the dias and said they support the redevelopment and those protesting should be ignored. They said MHADA should consider the larger interests of the residents, as per the sources.
Spread across 143 acres in Mumbai’s Goregaon area, the project is being undertaken under the Construction and Development Agency (C and DA) model by the Adani Group, according to officials.
The state government has granted the status of a special planning authority to MHADA for the implementation of the project. MHADA has set a target of completing the project within the next seven years after receiving the Occupation Certificate.
Under the project, 3,702 eligible residential beneficiaries will be provided free rehab housing units of about 1,600 sqft each, while 328 eligible commercial occupants will receive units of 987 sqft each.
Additionally, around 1,600 slum dwellers will be rehabilitated with 300 sqft housing units under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) provisions. MHADA will also receive a substantial housing stock as part of the redevelopment, according to officials. PTI MR GK
