Mumbai: Deadline to vacate buildings in GTB Nagar gets an extension over board exams

Given that several children will be appearing for exams in March 2019, the Bombay High Court has given tenants of 25 buildings at GTB Nagar an extra month to vacate their premises. An earlier order had asked residents of these 25 buildings to vacate their premises by October as the structures are in a dilapidated condition and could collapse anytime.

A division bench of justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla, in its order extending the deadline to vacate, said, "By way of last chance, final orders passed earlier are modified only to the extent that time granted under the said orders to vacate the respective premises to the applicants, their members and occupants is extended till April 30, 2019."

However, the court has imposed conditions for the extension, directing the tenants to submit an undertaking that they would not seek any more extensions. Moreover, they will continue to occupy the premises at their own risk. In case the building or its parts fall, only the applicants and occupants will be responsible for the loss, even those caused to third parties.

Earlier, after going through individual technical advisory committee reports of each of the buildings, the court had asked them to vacate the houses. Pradeep Nanbrajog of Vijay Punjab Cooperative Housing Society said, "The extension order is most welcome by the residents, but we hope the government considers our plea for redevelopment, so that we will not be forced to live on roads."