Centre to give 256 acres of salt pan land to Maharashtra government for Dharavi redevelopment project

NEW DELHI: Paving the way for the expeditious implementation of the Dharavi Redevelopment project , the Union cabinet approved the transfer of 256 acres of salt pan land in Mumbai to the state government on Monday.

The Shinde govt had sought the transfer of 283 acres following a cabinet decision this February.
Sources said the Union Cabinet would give the land on lease to the Maharashtra government for 99 years, with conditions for the state to sublease it.

The Centre had to be approached as the salt pan lands, spread across Kanjurmarg, Wadala and Mulund, come under the ownership of the Salt Commissioner Organisation , a central govt entity under the commerce and industry ministry.

The land parcels that the state will get will be used for a rental housing scheme for ineligible slum dwellers from Dharavi. Once the land is transferred by the Union government, the state govt will recover the market price of the land from the SPV, Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Limited ( DRPPL ).

The Maharashtra government had earlier identified defunct salt units where the lease has long expired and could be handed over for the redevelopment of Dharavi to DRPPL. The identified land parcels include Arthur Salt Works Land (120.5 acres), Jenkins Salt Works Land (77 acres) at Kanjurmarg, Jamasp Salt Works Land (58.5 acres) at Mulund and Suleman Shah Land (28 acres) at Wadala.