HC Okays Adani Group To Redevelop Dharavi Slum Sprawl

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday upheld the tender awarded to Adani Properties Private Limited by the Maharashtra government for the Dharavi slum redevelopment project in Mumbai. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar dismissed a petition filed by UAE-based Seclink Technologies Corporation challenging the state government’s decision to award the project to Adani Properties Private Ltd.

The bench said the petition lacks “force and effort” and hence stands dismissed. The Adani Group had emerged as the highest bidder for the 259-hectare Dharavi Redevelopment Project and bagged it with its Rs5,069-crore offer in the 2022 tender process. In the first tender issued in 2018, the petitioner company had emerged as the highest bidder with its Rs7,200-crore offer.

The government had, however, cancelled the 2018 tender and issued a fresh tender in 2022 with additional conditions. Seclink Technologies Corporation first challenged the cancellation of the 2018 tender and subsequently the 2022 tender award to Adani. “The grounds raised in the petition lack force and effort.

The challenge to the government’s action of cancelling the earlier tender and issuing a fresh tender award fails,” the high court said. The state government had submitted to the HC that the tender award was transparent and no undue favour was shown to the highest bidder Adani Group.