Fresh notice asking Century mills tenants to vacate premises soon

The plot, currently valued at ₹660 crore, was leased to Century Spinning and Manufacturing Limited (now Century Textiles) on April 1, 1927 for a 28-year period

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will send a fresh notice to 675 tenants living in the Century mills compound in Lower Parel, asking them to vacate the premises within 15 days, officials from BMC’s estate department told Hindustan Times. The first such notice was issued in February this year, after the Supreme Court upheld the BMC’s claim over the 25,000-square metre (approximately 6.17-acre) plot, the sources said. But Century Mills Kamgar Rahiwasi Sangh (CMKRS), the association representing the tenants, claimed they did not receive any notice and said the BMC was obliged to rehabilitate them.

Century Staff Quarters at Worli (Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times)

“We had sent a notice to the tenants in February 2025, asking them to vacate the premises within 15-30 days,” an official from BMC’s estates department told HT. “We will be sending a reminder notice soon, asking them to vacate the plot within 15 days. If they refuse, we will seek guidance from our legal department.”

But Sunil Kamble, president, CMKRS, said the tenants had received no notice to vacate their homes. “We believe the BMC will rehabilitate us, as these homes were provided for poor workers. As per law, the BMC is obligated to rehouse us,” he said.

The plot, currently valued at ₹660 crore, was leased to Century Spinning and Manufacturing Limited (now Century Textiles) on April 1, 1927 for a 28-year period. Lease conditions stipulated that 20 buildings and some shops would be constructed on the plot to accommodate mill workers and their families, and the land would revert to the BMC following the expiry of the lease on March 31, 1955.

In 2017, Century Textiles filed a petition in Bombay high court, seeking ownership of the plot, which was contested by the BMC. On March 14, 2022, the high court ruled in favour of Century Textiles, prompting the BMC to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. On July 13, 2022, the SC stayed the high court order and January 7, 2025, it dismissed Century Textiles’ petition and upheld BMC’s claim over the land.

The BMC has sought the opinion from its legal department regarding whether the plot is to be used for residential or commercial purposes and whether BMC or Century Mills will rehabilitate the tenants. “Our senior counsel is considering both these questions,” the official quoted earlier told HT.

But Kamble said that only 16 buildings in the premises were affected by the apex court order and the tenants were entitled to cluster redevelopment under Development Control Regulation 33(9). “We live in 180-square feet homes and have been here for six generations. Like my parents and grandparents, I too was a mill worker,” he said.

The BMC has indicated that affected tenants may be rehoused in an adjacent redevelopment project, but there is no official confirmation yet.