The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has cancelled all three tenders issued for a large-scale slum rehabilitation project in the Thane-Belapur industrial belt, putting one of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s most ambitious redevelopment plans on hold.
The proposed project covered 338 acres stretching from Digha and Airoli to Shirvane and aimed to rehabilitate nearly 35,800 eligible tenements under a cluster redevelopment model. The initiative, to be implemented in coordination with the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), had the potential to significantly reshape land use across the TTC industrial corridor.
Tenders for the three project packages were floated on March 27 and publicised through newspapers and the state e-tendering portal. However, less than three weeks later, on April 16, MIDC withdrew all tenders via a corrigendum without specifying any reason.
The project had faced criticism from political representatives, residents, and urban stakeholders. Concerns were raised over the proposed 300 sq ft rehabilitation units and the grouping of geographically distant settlements into single clusters spanning up to 18 km. Former mayor and BJP corporator Sudhakar Sonawane questioned the planning approach, stating, “How can people living 18 km away be treated as one cluster? This is not planning; this is confusion.”
Another BJP corporator, Amit Medhkar, criticised the housing size, saying, “How can people survive in 300 sqft today? What we want is ownership rights over land.”
Additional objections focused on eligibility criteria that required developers to have prior experience rehabilitating at least 1,900 families, which critics argued limited competition. Residents also expressed concerns about transit housing, infrastructure strain, and exclusion of certain households.
Forest minister Ganesh Naik had earlier opposed the project, stating, “This is being brought through the backdoor. I have spoken to the chief minister, and this will be cancelled at any cost.”
Following the cancellation, heated discussions took place in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, with political leaders debating credit for the decision.
MIDC officials have indicated the proposal may be reconsidered after further consultations, though the project’s future remains uncertain.
Source: Hindustan Times
