HC clears the way for Vile Parle slum project

The Bombay High Court approved a stalled slum rehabilitation project in Vile Parle, dismissing interference claims by a local MLA supporting a rival builder.

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday cleared the way for a slum rehabilitation project in Vile Parle which was being stalled by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) officials. A local MLA had allegedly interfered with the process on behalf of a rival builder.

HC clears the way for Vile Parle slum project

The division bench of justices GS Kulkarni and Arif Doctor directed the SRA to clear the remaining slum dwellers from the site and issue necessary permissions to enable the developer, Sateri Builders and Developers LLP, to proceed with the slum rehabilitation.

The developer alleged that the SRA and other state authorities were not cooperating with the slum scheme after a local MLA from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), lawmaker Parag Alavani had interfered in the matter. Alvani, allegedly acting on behalf of a rival builder, Pargani Universal Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, filed several complaints and objections with the SRA and other authorities regarding permissions required for the redevelopment.

The bench noted that Alvani was acting on behalf of a rival developer who was “attempting to hijack and take over the said slum rehabilitation scheme from the Petitioner”. Responding to this, the court directed the authorities to ignore any complaints from the MLA or the rival developer.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Sateri, a developer appointed by slum dwellers in November 2020 to redevelop the Shree Gurukrupa SRA Co-operative Housing Society. A month later, the firm had submitted a proposal to the SRA for the slum redevelopment, and in February 2021, the SRA accepted their proposal. As a condition, the authority directed the firm to also rehabilitate the encroachers of Dayaldas Road. The firm accepted the condition after which the SRA issued the firm a Letter of Intent (LOI) on May 4, 2022 and an Intimation of Approval (IOA) on May 10, 2022.

However, nine slum dwellers questioned the LOI and the IOA before a committee and later before the high court too. Even after the matter was settled by the Supreme Court in the firm’s favour the developer continued to face trouble. In June 2024, the SRA issued a stop work notice when the firm asked the authority to intervene and get the nine resisting slum dwellers to vacate their premises. This had prompted the developer to approach the high court again.