June 23, 2025: In a bid to ensure fairness and transparency in the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), authorities have launched a four-tier grievance redressal mechanism to address concerns from residents regarding their eligibility or representation.
The system aims to offer a streamlined, single-window platform for residents to register complaints without navigating multiple government departments. “We want every resident of Dharavi to benefit from the redevelopment. If someone has been wrongly excluded from Annexure-II or if errors occurred during the survey, their concerns will be addressed with fairness and urgency,” said SVR Srinivas, CEO of DRP.
The redressal process will begin once the Draft Annexure-II is released. Initially, residents must submit objections to the competent authority. If unresolved even after the Final Annexure-II is issued, the matter can be escalated through a structured four-step appeal procedure.
In the first stage, an Appellate Officer (AO) will review the complaint and respond within a specified timeframe. Should the resident remain dissatisfied, the issue may proceed to the Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC), composed of senior DRP officials unaffiliated with the initial survey.
If necessary, the third level involves an Appellate Committee led by an Additional Collector—independent from the DRP’s executive leadership—ensuring impartiality. The final recourse is the Apex Grievance Redressal Committee (AGRC), a quasi-judicial body created specifically to handle DRP-related disputes swiftly and effectively.
“The AGRC operates like a court but is faster because it exclusively deals with issues arising from the Dharavi project,” Srinivas explained.
Officials have stressed that the multi-tiered mechanism is designed to ensure that all legitimate claims are recognised and no eligible resident is left out as the city embarks on one of its most ambitious urban redevelopment undertakings.
Source: The Indian Express
