Dharavi Slum Redevelopment: Bombay HC Upholds Maharashtra Government's Tender Award to Adani Group

The Bombay High Court on Friday upheld the Maharashtra government's decision to award the tender for the Dharavi slum redevelopment project in Mumbai to Adani Properties Private Limited.

A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar rejected a petition by UAE-based Seclink Technologies Corporation, which had challenged the Maharashtra government's decision to award the Dharavi slum redevelopment project to Adani Properties Private Ltd. The bench noted that the petition lacked "force and effort," resulting in its dismissal. Adani Group had won the 259-hectare project as the highest bidder with a Rs 5,069-crore offer during the 2022 tender process.

In the initial tender issued in 2018, Seclink Technologies Corporation had emerged as the highest bidder with a Rs 7,200-crore offer. However, the government canceled the 2018 tender and released a new one in 2022 with additional conditions. Seclink Technologies Corporation then challenged both the cancellation of the 2018 tender and the subsequent award of the 2022 tender to Adani Properties Private Ltd.

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“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.

In November 2020, the government issued a resolution canceling the first tender, citing a material change in the tender conditions after the "Bid Due Date." The government further stated that in the new tender, bids were to be submitted afresh, and the petitioner had the opportunity to submit a new bid in compliance with the revised terms and conditions.