Mungantiwar announces action against DB Realty for delay in rehabilitation scheme in SGNP

Mumbai: The state forest department will recommend cancelling the tender of DB Realty for not implementing a slum rehabilitation scheme catering to the 15,000 residents living in the area of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar announced on Friday in the legislative council.

He also announced that the government will form a committee of legislators for the rehabilitation of these residents.

In the second phase, the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) appointed DB Realty for the rehabilitation scheme, Mungatiwar said, adding, “But there was no progress. In 2018, a high-level committee recommended rehabilitation work through MHADA on the 90 acres of land in Aarey. But MHADA did not get any response to its tenders. We will ask the SRA to conduct an inquiry into how DB Realty was appointed for the project and will also recommend cancelling their tender.”

When contacted for a comment, Vinod Goenka, managing director, DB Realty said the rehabilitation project is not moving ahead due to pending height clearances from the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

“Five out of 11 or 12 buildings proposed had progressed to a certain height when the AAI stopped the construction over height clearances. There was no violation by us, but AAI said the height clearances approved are wrong. My company then moved for fresh clearances and the matter is pending before the AAI for more than four years,” he said.