Thursday, Apr 25, 2024 | Last Update : 09:37 PM IST
Bombay HC wants details of action taken
HC was hearing a PIL filed by a man alleging that members of his society had illegally transferred and sold their houses in SRA scheme.
Mumbai: The Bombay high court has asked the state government and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) what action they propose to take against persons availing the benefits of more than one slum rehabilitation scheme. While hearing a PIL, the court learnt that the committee, headed by the additional collector, had surveyed 86,429 tenements in various SRA schemes, out of which, 30,564 tenements prima-facie had illegal occupants.
A division bench of Justice R.M. Sawant and Justice K.K. Sonawane was hearing a PIL filed by Shaikh Abdul Rahim, alleging that members of his society had illegally transferred and sold their tenements in the slum rehabilitation project, contrary to the provisions of the Slum Act. The petitioner’s counsel also submitted that after having sold the tenements, the slum dwellers had obtained flats under a different scheme.
At the last hearing, the HC extended the PIL’s scope and asked the state to constitute a committee. Accordingly, the state constituted a committee headed by the additional collector to carry out a survey of slum schemes in the city.
The HC was also informed that 11 illegal occupants were found in the petitioner’s building. Notices were issued to the said persons under section 3(E) of the Maharashtra Slum Area (Improvement Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971.
The HC also asked the state to file an affidavit, stating what progress had been made so far on the said notices. In the event that no progress had been made, it wanted to know why the notices not been taken to their logical conclusion. It also asked the SRA to file an affidavit stating statutory impediment in the way of a person availing benefits of more than one scheme.
