HC slams SRA over illegal allotments in HDIL slum rehab project

The Bombay High Court criticized the Slum Rehabilitation Authority for irregularities in HDIL projects, noting illegal encroachments and safety concerns for residents.

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday pulled up the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) for “continuous irregularities” in HDIL-led schemes, saying that prime commercial spaces meant for rehabilitated slum dwellers were being illegally encroached upon and misused.

HC slams SRA over illegal allotments in HDIL slum rehab project

The court was hearing a petition filed by Karimulla Nurulla Khan, who alleged that allotments at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) under an HDIL slum rehabilitation project had been taken over by private players and converted into restaurants, including Hotel BKC Mannat and Hotel Diamond.

A division bench of justices GS Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe said such violations were not isolated, recalling how slum dwellers in another HDIL project were denied commercial premises for 13 years.

This is not just a paper violation. In Kurla West, for example, the once-bustling Premier Colony SRA complex — built by HDIL to rehabilitate displaced families — has turned into a virtual ghost town. Crime has replaced community life. Reel makers and cricket players who once frequented the area have stopped coming after a string of violent incidents, including murders and mysterious deaths. Many flats remain vacant, with poor lighting and weak security making residents fear stepping out after dark. Police have repeatedly flagged the stretch as a haven for drug users and anti-social elements, underlining how failed supervision and illegal occupation have eroded the intent of rehabilitation.

The bench directed the hotel operators in the BKC case to produce proof of entitlement before the SRA’s Chief Executive Officer and ordered immediate action against all illegal occupants. “The wheels to weed out such illegalities, set into motion under the orders passed by this Court, ought not to halt on any consideration,” it said, warning that violators would face eviction.

The court also sought a response from the Urban Development Department’s Principal Secretary on steps taken so far, observing that officials act only when cases come under judicial scrutiny. “We have a serious concern that only when the proceedings are before the Court, the officials are acting and the illegalities are being addressed,” the bench noted.