Bombay HC raps SRA for allowing developer to use govt land

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has rapped the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) for allowing a developer to usurp vacant government land adjacent to the slum at Kandivali (east) and construct buildings on it in the name of slum rehabilitation.

In light of the alleged illegality of the project last year, the suburban collector had ordered seizure of the entire project but the developer had got a ‘status quo’ from the high court.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dr Manjula Chellur and Justice M.S. Sonak was hearing a bunch of petitions filed by various societies and individuals against the SRA project at Hanuman Nagar in Kandivali (east) by Ruchi Priya Developers.

On hearing submissions that the developer had constructed SRA buildings on a plot adjacent to the slum rather than on the slum land itself without getting proper permissions from the relevant authorities, the bench was livid with the developer and asked it whether it was above the law. “Yesterday we ordered the demolition of 35 stalls. Do you want us to pass such an order,” asked the bench.

The counsel for the developer said that it was willing to pay the collector its dues but as the matter was listed for directions, it would forward its arguments when the matter was heard.

The bench also lambasted the SRA for allowing the construction on the adjoining plot and asked the officials to file their replies. Last year, The Asian Age had reported about Mumbai’s first ‘illegal’ SRA project that the Mumbai suburban district collector had issued a “stop work” notice to on July 31, 2015 for construction on encroachment-free land.

The SRA also issued “stop work” notice on August 14, 2015. According to the then-collector, Shekhar Channe, the developer allegedly began construction on the 10-acre plot without mandatory approvals from the state revenue and forest department.

The developer had 3 lakh sq. ft. of construction for slum rehabilitation by 2015.