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Brain behind Dharavi Redevelopment Project in the dock

Mukesh Mehta, a non-resident Indian, first mooted a plan to redevelop Dharavi into a world-class city in the late nineties.

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Mukesh Mehta, a non-resident Indian, first mooted a plan to redevelop Dharavi into a world-class city in the late nineties. But he had to wait for more than five years for the government to approve his plan.

In 2004, the government okayed his proposal, termed it the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), and made him project consultant. But by then, he was already involved in the area, trying to persuade slum-dwellers to form societies he would develop.

Three societies were formed under SRA in 2001 after Mehta promised slum-dwellers that he would be the developer. But people now allege that he never told them of his DRP plan. Since the SRA scheme was scrapped to introduce the DRP, people say Mehta is at fault.

"He introduced himself as a builder wanting to develop three societies under SRA," Anand H, Dharavi resident and one of the petitioners before the Bombay high court, said.

Mehta refuted the charge. "I associated myself with Dharavi from 2000-2002. When I lost all hope of an integrated approach, I started forming several societies," he said. "In 2003, the government decided to go ahead with the DRP; so, I told all societies to join DRP as it would serve their interests best."

 But Anand said Mehta asked them to go for DRP after they had worked for four years to complete formalities. Mehta, however, maintained that he had "never misled anyone".

When the government approved DRP, not only did rehabilitation work stop, so did work on internal roads, water pipelines and drainage.

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