Houses meant for rehabilitation being sold, alleges PIL

A PIL in the Bombay High Court has alleged that flats alloted to slum dwellers who were living inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai are being illegally sold.

A PIL in the Bombay High Court has alleged that flats alloted to slum dwellers who were living inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai are being illegally sold.

HT Image

The slum dwellers who were evicted from the National Park were given flats under Slum Rehabilitation Authority's scheme in Chandivali in North Mumbai.

However, Janhit Manch, an NGO, has alleged in the petition that these flats are being sold off, though the scheme bars sale or leasing of these flats for ten years.

Bhagwanji Rayani, president of Janhit Manch, said that he himself went to one of the housing society in Chandiwali, and saw brokers negotiation sale deals in the society premises, right under the board, which said that flats therein could not be sold for a period of ten years.

The flats, which were given to displaced families for as little as Rs 7,000, are going for about Rs 4 lakh apiece, he said.

Division bench of Justices F I Rebello and J H Bhatia sought a reply from the state government and SRA in two weeks.