Maharashtra Industries Minister Ashish Shelar on Friday debunked claims that Gautam Adani has been handed land in the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), asserting in the state assembly that “not an inch” of the slum’s land belongs to the industrialist. Addressing a debate on infrastructure, Shelar clarified that all 430 acres of Dharavi remain under the Dharavi Redevelopment Authority, a state government entity, challenging critics to produce any land record proving otherwise.

“The narrative that Adani owns Dharavi land is false and misleading,” Shelar said. He explained that the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Limited (DRPPL), a joint venture with Adani Group as the contractor, will share 20% of its profits with the state. Of the total land, 37% will become open spaces like playgrounds, while nearly 50% is owned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), with the rest split between state and central governments.

Shelar highlighted the project’s uniqueness, noting it guarantees housing for all slum dwellers within Mumbai—eligible residents within Dharavi itself, and ineligible ones elsewhere in the city. Landowners, including BMC, will receive 25% of the ready reckoner rate as compensation under redevelopment norms. Amid opposition flak over alleged favoritism, Shelar defended the plan as a transformative step for one of Asia’s largest slums.

To address rehabilitation on railway land, a committee chaired by the state chief secretary has been formed, with ongoing coordination with the Centre. “Meetings have occurred, and discussions continue,” he said. The Rs 23,000-crore DRP, launched to rehouse over 6 lakh residents, remains a contentious issue, but Shelar’s rebuttal aims to quell misinformation as the project progresses.