Plea challenging MHADA draw process dismissed

The Bombay High Court on Thursday found nothing arbitrary in the state housing authority’s decision to put applications seeking allotment of low-cost homes for computerised draws and later scrutinising them.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday found nothing arbitrary in the state housing authority’s decision to put applications seeking allotment of low-cost homes for computerised draws and later scrutinising them.

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Local Arun Kinwatkar had challenged the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority’s (MHADA)’s policy saying many applicants, whose names are selected through the lottery, are later found ineligible after scrutiny.

This, according to him, reduces the chances of eligible applicants to get selected in the draw.

Government pleader G.W. Mattos, however, pointed out that it was impossible for the housing authority to scrutinise each and every application before putting them to a draw. He cited statistics of last year’s draw — 7,55,693 applications for allotment 3,865 tenements — in support of his contention.

Based on the arguments, the division bench of Justice FI Rebello and Justice JH Bhatia dismissed the petition.

The high court also asked MHADA to file a reply to a public interest litigation challenging the ongoing process of allotting 3,300 tenements.