An affidavit filed by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) in the Bombay High Court on Monday revealed that of the 86,429 tenements under Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme surveyed by authorities, 12,460 were occupied by illegal tenants. The High Court rapped SRA and directed the Principal Secretary of the state Urban Development Department to file an affidavit citing the action the government proposes to take in the case.
A total of 1,63,646 tenements have been constructed in the city under various rehabilitation schemes. While 86,429 tenements have been used to rehabilitate slum dwellers, about 75,225 tenements are given to project-affected people, or those who need to be relocated to make way for infrastructure projects. Of these 75,225 flats, 29,264 are given through the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and 33,031 have been handed over to Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) for beneficiaries.
The SRA in its affidavit told the curt that of the 12,460 tenements surveyed, the authorities had scrutinised 10,370, while 2,090 cases are pending scrutiny. The affidavit also prays that since the tenements are handed over to the BMC and MMRDA, it would be their responsibility to probe into the matter.
A division bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Anuja Prabhudessai came down heavily on SRA, saying: "The state government cannot forgo its land without taking proper action." It has now directed the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department to file a personal affidavit on the action it proposes to take by next week.
According to the order passed in 2016, while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Antonettee Fernandes, the court had directed SRA to conduct a survey of the tenements. The PIL alleged that several tenements are being used by unauthorised tenants and that the authorities are not taking action against them.
The court, while issuing the order, took into consideration the fact that there was a recent amendment in the Maharashtra Slum Rehabilitation (Improvements, clearance and Redevelopment) Act, which empowered the authority to take action on erring allottees.
The authority was asked to ascertain whether transfers made by the allottees are in contravention of law.
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