HC raps slum revamp body

A proposed special township project spread over 41.88 hectares at Antop Hill has hit a roadblock, reports Kanchan Chaudhari.

A proposed special township project spread over 41.88 hectares at Antop Hill has hit a roadblock.

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The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to first decide about proposals for rehabilitating slums spread over 37,500 square meters, which the developer merged in the township project following the state’s orders.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice J.N. Patel and Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari has given the SRA three months to decide the proposal submitted by Vijay Kamal Properties Private Limited to redevelop 10,386 shanties.

Vijay Kamal moved the HC after the state directed the SRA to accept a special township project proposal by Ackruti City Limited, and include the slums covered in Vijay Kamal’s proposal in the special township to enable it fulfill the minimum land requirement of 40 hectares stipulated by state. Vijay Kamal had submitted four proposals for rehabilitating the slum in July 2008.

Ackruti City Limited in September 2009 sought to convert their nine slum rehabilitation proposals into a special township project.

The slums that Vijay Kamal wanted to redevelop were amalgamated with Ackruti’s project, which originally covered an area of 26.99 hectares.

The state argued that the decision to amalgamate the slums in the special township was taken to ensure overall development of the area.

The SRA argued that it allowed the properties to be amalgamated after realising that fragmented rehabilitation of slums would lead to haphazard development and inadequacy of facilities.

The argument failed to impress the judges, who directed the SRA to decide Vijay Kamal's proposals in three months. Until then the SRA can proceed with Ackruti City’s proposal for a special township but excluding the Antop Hill slums.

The matter will come up for hearing after three months.