Maharashtra okays houses for people hit by projects, names Adani entity

The Maharashtra cabinet on Monday approved the utilisation of 255 acres of salt pan land in Mumbai to develop houses for people affected by a slum rehabilitation project, assigning the implementation to the Adani Group's Dharavi Slum Redevelopment Project.

The salt pan land utilisation decision also covers the beneficiaries of affordable housing and similar schemes. The state government had written to the Centre to transfer the salt pan land in Mumbai on lease.

With state assembly polls looming, the cabinet chaired by chief minister Eknath Shinde cleared 38 proposals, some of them related to strengthening road and metro rail infrastructure in Mumbai and surrounding areas.

The Adani Group-controlled Dharavi Redevelopment Project will be responsible for implementing this decision (to develop houses for slum rehabilitation project-affected people), the government stated.

The 255.9 acres of salt pan land to be acquired include 120.5 acres in mauje Kanjur, 76.9 acres in Kanjur and Bhandup and 58.5 acres in mauje Mulund. According to the government, the additional chief secretary of the state housing department is designated to sign an agreement with the Union government for the land lease transfer.

The cost of rehabilitating people living on salt pan land will be borne by a special purpose vehicle (SPV).

Earlier this month, the Centre approved the transfer of 255.9 acres of salt pan land in Mumbai to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL), a joint venture between Adani Realty Group and the Maharashtra government, for building rental housing for slum dwellers.

Additionally, the cabinet approved a proposal to offer rental housing for residents of Dharavi ineligible for permanent housing under another scheme as part of the redevelopment project. DRPPL will survey eligible and non-eligible residents and determine the land requirements for their housing.

The proposal underscores the importance of ensuring no financial burden on the state treasury while implementing the credit-linked subsidy.

The cabinet also approved a state ports development department's proposal to appoint JSW Infrastructure as the developer for the Murbe multipurpose port, with an estimated cost of Rs 4,259 crore, in neighbouring Palghar district for which a detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared.

The cabinet approved to provide an interest-free loan of Rs 1,354 crore to MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) for the proposed tunnel road construction connecting Orange Gate in Mazgaon and Marine Drive.

The government will bear the land acquisition expenditure estimated to be Rs 433 crore and provide the fund to MMRDA.

The council of ministers also accepted a revised proposal of Rs 12,200 crore for the Thane Ring Metro project. The proposed 29-km Thane metro loop would have 20 stations on the surface and two underground.

In a major urban transportation drive, the government cleared a proposal for constructing a tunnel between Thane and Borivli (Mumbai). The project entails developing a six-lane twin tunnel spanning 11.85 km at an estimated cost of Rs 18,838 crore, the release stated.

The government also gave its nod to the animal husbandry department's proposal to provide a daily subsidy of Rs 50 per animal to gaushala (cow shelter) operators, whose functioning will be monitored by the Maharashtra cow shelter commissionerate. The population of indigenous cows fell by 20.69 per cent to 46,13,632 in the 2019 census.

The cabinet has also decided to allot three land parcels totalling 37 acres to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to set up national centres of excellence on leased land with an annual rent of Rs 1 for the next 30 years, the statement said.

The cabinet has expanded economic support for scheduled caste and Nav Bauddh farmers under the Krishi Self-reliance scheme, increasing the subsidy for new irrigation wells to Rs 4 lakh and Rs 1 lakh for repairs. Conditions regarding annual income caps and well depth have also been relaxed.

Home guards will see their daily allowances rise from Rs 570 to Rs 1,083, with other allowances doubling, impacting the state treasury by Rs 795 crore.

Additionally, the cabinet has approved the renaming of 26 more industrial training institutes, bringing the total to 40.

For economic upliftment, the cabinet sanctioned the establishment of the Sant Narhari Maharaj Economic Development Corporation for goldsmiths and the Shri Vasvi Kanyaka Corporation for the Arya Vaishya community, each with Rs 50 crore in share capital.

On the lines of SARTHI and BARTI, the cabinet approved the setting up of Vasantrao Naik Research and Training Institute to focus on the Gor Banjara community's research and economic upliftment, funded with Rs 50 crore.

To enhance organ donation awareness, a dedicated critical care department will be established in all 25 government medical colleges, creating 150 new posts. The number of organ transplantations has gone up from 4,990 in 2013 to 12,666 in India, the statement said.

The cabinet regularised 4,860 special teachers following Supreme Court directives and decided that Metro 3 project-affected residents from Girgaon and Kalbadevi in Mumbai would pay Rs 1,000 in stamp duty for new homes, with the remainder waived.

Gratuity for state government employees will rise from Rs 14 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, effective 1 September, also applying to employees of state-aided institutions, agricultural and non-agricultural colleges.