Slum issue: Medha Patkar to protest today

Social activist Medha Patkar, along with around 1,000 slumdwellers from the city, will take part in a rally on Tuesday to protest against the transfer of the inquiry of Ganeshkripa Society and 15 other societies.

Social activist Medha Patkar, along with around 1,000 slumdwellers from the city, will take part in a rally on Tuesday to protest against the transfer of the inquiry of Ganeshkripa Society and 15 other societies.

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The government had formed two committees comprising government officials and citizen representatives to probe the alleged illegalities in the slum rehabilitation project at Golibar and 15 other cases of corruption and misappropriation in rehabilitation schemes, following Patkar’s 9-day fast.

The Bombay high court stayed the committees after a group of former society residents and builders filed a petition. The government withdrew the committees and directed the inquiries to be submitted to the high power panel headed by housing secretary Gautam Chatterjee.

“We have organised this protest rally from Golibar to Mantralaya to show our displeasure over the betrayal by the government, which will affect lakhs of slumdwellers,” said Patkar.

She added, “I have never seen such brutal murder of democracy where a government resolution is taken back after a month of being passed. An affidavit needs to be filed to change a government resolution.”