SRA to conduct survey of allotments made last year

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) will carry out a video-graphic survey of all the allotments it has made in all its schemes in the past year in the city. The reason behind carrying out a survey is to find out illegal transfers of tenements by the allottees. The move comes after the Bombay high court in its November 4 order had directed the SRA to carry out the survey for the same in a phase-wise manner and take action against the illegal transfers.

The court’s direction came after an NGO named Janhit Manch filed a public interest litigation about illegal transfers being made in the projects of SRA which have not completed ten years.

According to norms, transfer of tenancy rights is prohibited within ten years of allotment to the allottee. Satyanarayan Bajaj, deputy director, SRA, said, “We will carry a door-to-door video-graphic survey where our representatives will videotape the actual owner, family members and also the flat. SRA will later file an affidavit and reply on the same to the Bombay high court within the next six months. There are 1,50,000 lakh tenements where the minimum of ten years of period is not completed and the allottee cannot sublet or transfer the given flat to anyone.”

He further added, “In whichever case we find that the flat is illegally transferred without following the norms, the SRA will issue a notice and carry out the process of evacuating the encroachers.”

Mahaonline Limited (ML) has been assigned the work by the SRA to carry the video-graphic survey to identify illegal transfer of tenement rights. ML is a joint venture between Maharashtra government and Tata Consultancy Services Limited to facilitate and deliver citizen-centric services.