State appoints 5-member panel to remove encroachments on HC land in Bandra East

Mumbai forms a five-member committee to tackle encroachments on 30 acres for a new Bombay High Court building, aiming to expedite construction.

Mumbai: In a move to accelerate the process of the construction of the new Bombay high court building, the state has set up a five-member committee of top officials to resolve the issue of encroachments on the 30-acre land parcel in Bandra East.

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The committee, headed by the additional chief secretary of the housing department, includes the Public Works Department (PWD) secretary (construction), the Mumbai suburban district collector, Chief executive officer of SRA and the assistant commissioner of BMC Western suburbs.

“The committee will investigate the matters related to the encroachments on 30.16 acres of land given to the high court. They will decide the proper course of action according to rules regarding these encroachments, remove them, and coordinate in this matter.” states the government order.

The redevelopment project was proposed around 10 to 15 years ago on 90 acres of the colony, which currently has 5,000 staff quarters. The plan includes a complex of the Bombay high court on over 30 acres of land, rehabilitation of slum dwellers on 10 acres, and apartments for sale and other amenities on the remaining land.

According to the officials, the state government has planned around five SRA buildings to accommodate the eligible slum dwellers on the Bandra government colony land. The cut-off date for the Slum Rehabilitation Authority’s (SRA) free housing scheme is January 1, 2000. However, there are many encroachments after the list eligible for the rehabilitations. So, the committee will find out the way to resolve the issue of encroachments on the land given to the high court.

The committee will first survey these encroachments and then take necessary actions to vacate them so that a vacant land parcel can be transferred for the high court’s work.