Maharashtra govt forms committee to define Dharavi Koliwada boundaries

Mumbai: State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced that a committee headed by the Konkan divisional commissioner was set up to draw up the boundaries of Dharavi Koliwada after residents opposed the inclusion of the Koliwada in the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and demanded that their land on which buildings were constructed be restored to them.Bawankule said the committee, comprising the BMC commissioner, Mumbai city and suburbs collectors and the land commissioner, will submit its report to the govt within three months.On Wednesday, local Congress MLA Jyoti Gaikwad led a delegation of residents to meet Bawankule. Residents said the Koliwada has been in existence since the 12th century, is a heritage precinct and should be excluded completely from the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. They also demanded that the local temple to the deity Khandoba and the nearby Holi Maidan be given the status of a religious centre.Recently, Navbharat Mega Developers Pvt Ltd (NMDPL), the special purpose vehicle set up to execute the redevelopment project, took up the barricading of Mhada-constructed govt quarters, including ONGC, AEML, BEST and GRP. Koliwada residents opposed the action, claiming the land belongs to Dharavi Koliwada.An NMDPL spokesperson said the SPV officially took possession of these buildings as they fall under the Dharavi Redevelopment area. "NMDPL is not a party to any legal dispute related to the land as all land parcels vest with the DRP/SRA. The protests by the Koliwada residents relates to their claims regarding land rights with the state authorities," said the spokesperson.