sc-refuses-to-halt-adani-s-dharavi-redevelopment-project

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to halt the ongoing Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), dismissing a plea by UAE-based Seclink Technologies Corporation, which challenged the Maharashtra government’s decision to award the project to the Adani Group.

 

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar, refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court’s ruling, which had upheld the state government’s decision to re-tender the project.

 

The court noted that work on the redevelopment had already commenced, including the demolition of certain railway quarters in Dharavi.

 

While rejecting Seclink’s plea for an immediate stay, the apex court directed that all payments related to the project be processed through a single escrow account. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for 25 May.

 

Legal challenge and revised bid

Seclink, which originally won the Dharavi bid in 2019 for ₹7,200 crore, approached the Supreme Court after the Maharashtra government cancelled its contract and re-tendered the project in 2022, ultimately awarding it to Adani Properties Limited.

Also read: Rahul meets Dharavi leather hub workers in Mumbai

 

The company told the court that it was prepared to increase its bid by 20 per cent, arguing that the government’s decision had caused “unjustified” financial losses.

 

In response, the Supreme Court directed Seclink to submit an affidavit detailing its revised bid.

 

Government’s justification

The Maharashtra government defended its decision, citing significant economic changes between 2019 and 2022, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, currency fluctuations, and rising interest rates.

 

These factors, it argued, necessitated a fresh tender to ensure transparency and fairness.

 

In December 2024, the Bombay High Court ruled in favour of the government, upholding the cancellation of Seclink’s earlier bid. Following this setback, the UAE-based firm moved the Supreme Court, challenging the legality of the fresh tender process.

 

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project, considered one of the largest slum rehabilitation schemes in the world, aims to transform Asia’s largest slum into a modern urban space, complete with residential, commercial, and infrastructural developments.

Also read: Bombay HC clears Adani Group in Dharavi tender