State government paves way for revamp of Sion refugee colony

The division bench of justice SC Dharmadhikari and justice GS Patel said the benefit of redevelopment cannot be given to the “rank third parties inducted in the tenements in breach of norms”.

In a reprieve for the 1,200 families residing at Sion Koliwada Displaced Persons Colony, the state has paved the way for redevelopment of all 25 dilapidated buildings occupied by them.

Additional government pleader LT Satelkar on Wednesday informed the Bombay HC that the revenue and forest department had decided to enter names of the cooperative societies formed by these occupants, into the record of rights as Class-1 occupants. This will enable the housing societies of the 25 buildings to get the area redeveloped.

Illegal occupants of these buildings, however, will not get the benefit of redevelopment, as the state has decided to enter the area of the individual buildings in their property card after deducting the area occupied by illegal transferees – third parties who have purchased tenements in these buildings from original allottees or their successors, without requisite permission from the district collector.

The division bench of justice SC Dharmadhikari and justice GS Patel said the benefit of redevelopment cannot be given to the “rank third parties inducted in the tenements in breach of norms”. It said the occupants have claimed that they or their ancestors were victims of the Partition and were displaced as such. The third parties, who are today illegally occupying tenements in the displaced persons colony, therefore, cannot benefit from the government decision.

These buildings were constructed at Sion Koliwada to rehabilitate displaced persons who came from Pakistan after the Partition.