Just when it appeared that the long-delayed Dharavi Redevelopment Project was on track, it has hit another obstacle, in the form of a strongly-worded letter from a government-appointed committee of experts to the government, recommending that the project management consultant, Mukesh Mehta, be immediately removed.

Mehta, known to have conceived the project nearly a decade ago, has had only a “perfunctory” participation during the deliberations among bidders on the masterplan for Dharavi, his urban design guidelines to them have been “hopelessly inadequate” and his continued involvement would be “detrimental to the project”, says the letter, sent to the government three days ago.

It is known that the committee of experts, comprising urban planners and architects under the leadership of former chief secretary D M Sukhthankar, had misgivings about Mehta from the outset, but the precipitating factor for the current letter is unclear. Addressed to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, it is signed by the 10 committee members.

“Yes, he should not be allowed to continue,” Sukhthankar told Newsline. “The grounds include various parameters including his performance so far, the fact that his appointment did not follow a transparent bidding process and that the project was about to be started without socio-economic surveys or topographical surveys.”

Mehta had been appointed by a government resolution dated 2004 and also signed an agreement with the state government late last year. “But the committee of experts was also appointed by a government resolution last year. So nothing stops the government from taking a fresh view of Mehta’s appointment,” said a senior government official, preferring to remain anonymous.

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