Redevelopment of Dharavi slums: Bombay HC allows firm to challenge decision declaring Adani successful bidder – The Indian Express

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice S G Chapalgaonkar allowed Seclink to amend the plea and challenge the said award. The company had filed the plea before the government had taken the decision to award the tender to Adani and a required amendment was sought to be made by the petitioner.

The project got an impetus in 2016 when the Detailed Project Report was prepared during the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena government. In November 2018, the then Fadnavis government approved a new model for the slum’s redevelopment.

Advocate Suraj Iyer, representing Seclink, said it was a successful bidder in January 2019 against Adani. However, the tender was not awarded following the decision to include Railway land in the redevelopment project.

In October 2020, the Uddhav Thackerey-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government cancelled the tender and said new tenders would be floated soon.

Senior advocate Milind Sathe for Dharavi Redevelopment Project under SRA said that the 2018 tender was cancelled and a new tender was issued by the present government as a fresh 45-acre land was found and Adani qualified for the same. Iyer responded that there had been no material change between earlier and present tender as the railway land featured in the earlier as well the fresh tender.

After the bench enquired about the progress in tender proceedings, Sathe said that work order is not yet given but the highest bidder has been selected. Sathe opposed any amendment to be made in plea and said the petitioner should withdraw its plea and file a fresh plea as ‘different cause of action’ arose.