Tenants in Vile Parle gaothan building promised alternative accommodation

The owner of a building in Vile Parle gaothan has promised the Bombay high court that he will provide alternative accommodation to the four tenants before demolishing the structure for its redevelopment

The owner of a building in Vile Parle gaothan has promised the Bombay high court that he will provide alternative accommodation to the four tenants before demolishing the structure for its redevelopment.

Four families have been staying in Castelino Building since the 1960s after they migrated from Goa. (HT Photo)

HT carried on its January 4 edition how the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had cut off water and electricity connections to Castelino Building.

“Tenancies are not lost because a building is brought down as it is dangerous or in a ruinous condition,” the court said in its January 5 order. “We have separately said in a recent judgment that it is unacceptable for the owner of the property to simply let the tenanted structure remain dilapidated or be brought down and to do absolutely nothing for its reconstruction or redevelopment.”

Following the HC ruling, the tenants agreed to vacate the ground plus one storey building categorised as C1 by February 5. C1 buildings are dilapidated and dangerous and need to be vacated immediately. The court ordered BMC to restore the basic services for the intervening period.

The owner, Romell Real Estate Private Limited, has assured the court that he will provide the tenants with alternate accommodation of equal carpet area. The owner further said if the building was redeveloped by him, the tenants would receive flats as owners. The four families have been staying in the building since the 1960s after they migrated from Goa and only two of them are currently there.