The Maharashtra cabinet, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has given the green light to a proposal concerning the Dharavi redevelopment project. As part of this initiative, 283.40 acres of salt pan lands in Mumbai will be acquired from the Union government on a 99-year lease for rehabilitation purposes.

The state housing department presented the proposal during a cabinet meeting, and it received approval, newswire PTI reported. The move aims to utilize the salt pan lands for the rehabilitation of certain residents within the Dharavi slum redevelopment project. A separate proposal outlining the transfer of these lands for rehabilitation will be submitted to the Union government shortly.

According to an official statement, the market value of the 283.40 acres of lands will be recuperated from the special purpose vehicle (SPV) responsible for the Dharavi slum colony`s redevelopment. Subsequently, these lands will be handed over to the Union government.

Last July, the Maharashtra government formally awarded the Dharavi redevelopment project, spanning 259 hectares, to a firm within the Adani Group. The ambitious multi-crore project, executed through an SPV, is geared towards rebuilding Dharavi, Asia`s largest slum sprawl, located in central Mumbai.

Meanwhile, in a significant relief for the residents of Mumbai, the cabinet also decided that there will be no increase in property tax in Mumbai city.

The decision, proposed by the urban development department, is seen as a measure to alleviate financial burdens on the residents ahead of civic polls due since 2022.

This decision would save Mumbai residents from an additional financial burden of Rs 736 crore, said an official statement without providing further details.

The cabinet cleared another proposal to hold employment fairs at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra covering the entire Marathwada region (eight districts) as well as in Nashik, Pune and Konkan divisions.

Titled the `Namo Mega Job Fair`, such an event has already been held at Nagpur, which garnered a huge response, said the statement.

There will be six such fairs where at least two lakh jobs will be generated, it adding, the cabinet approved an expenditure of Rs 30 crore for organising these events.

A social justice department proposal to launch the `Chief Minister Vayoshri Scheme` for senior citizens was also cleared at the cabinet meeting.

Under the scheme, centres for mental well-being and yoga therapy will be set up for senior citizens.

At least 15 lakh senior citizens who are above 65 years of age would benefit from it, said the statement. (With inputs from PTI)

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