Petition Against Dadar Slum Rehabilitation Scheme Dismissed

The Bombay High Court has dismissed the petition against the Dadar slum rehabilitation project. The group of the Dadar slum residents had filed a petition opposing the project. The High Court said that early completion of the slum rehabilitation projects in Mumbai would be in the larger interest of the public.

Petition against Dadar SRS

One of the tenants had filed a petition against the Dadar Slum Rehabilitation Scheme (SRS) in September 2010 alleging that there were irregularities in the scheme. The resident claimed that the developer fabricated documents such as electricity bills, ration card, affidavits and commercial establishment license numbers under false names to obtain additional floor space index (FSI). The resident had also claimed that the Asst. Commissioner of Police of Dadar division had misused his post and supported the three project developers in forging documents.

The petition additionally claimed that the property, which was declared a slum, was located at the prime area of Gokhale Road and Bhawani Shankar Road junction. Flats in the area were priced at Rs. 20,000 per sq.ft. The state government had eventually set up a high-empowered panel to oversee the SRS implementation.

High Court Hearing

Dismissing the petition against the project, the High Court judge said that implementing the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme (SRS) was in the greater interest of poor and shelter less people. The judge also said that the small group of residents who were opposing the project had taken the case all the way to the Apex Court without success. The High Court as well as the Supreme Court declared the SRS legal. The Dadar building was already complete and ready to occupy.

The HC justice said that allowing the same petitions to continue while everything was in place would be abuse of the process of law. It would be fruitless to challenge the letters of intent as well as the intimation and approval of the building CC (commencement certificate).