Court tells 8 Malad schools to file regularisation plea

The Bombay high court on Monday allowed eight schools, which are being run from unauthorised premises in Malad (West), to approach the civic authorities to seek regularisation of their buildings.

The Bombay high court on Monday allowed eight schools, which are being run from unauthorised premises in Malad (West), to approach the civic authorities to seek regularisation of their buildings.

The division bench of justice Abhay Oka and justice Revati Mohite-Dere granted the schools three months’ time to file applications to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for regularisation of their buildings.

The bench granted the relief considering that the schools have already admitted students. Even if their plea for regularisation is rejected, civic authorities cannot take action against the schools for a month.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by businessman Ali Asgar Tahsildar. He had complained that 14 schools at Malwani in Malad (West) were being run from unauthorised premises and some were being run from dangerous structures.

The BMC clarified that six of the 14 schools were on private lands, and the rest were being run from structures built after encroaching on public lands. The affidavit clarified that two schools were on BMC and Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) lands and the others were on the state government’s land.

After the court issued notices to the 14 schools, 11 filed pleas for intervention. On Monday, the court dropped the proceedings against those built on private lands and allowed the rest to file applications for regularisation.

On July 9, principals of about 30 schools in Malwani had gone on a hunger strike to protest against the demolition notices sent to some schools.

The next hearing is on July 29.