Houses for rehabilation being sold, government tells high court
Janhit Manch, a local NGO, had initiated a PIL based on newspaper reports alleging that the rehabilitated slum dwellers were selling off their new houses in Chandivali.
Confirming the allegations made in a public interest litigation (PIL), the director of Sanjay Gandhi National Park on Wednesday told the Bombay high court that over 800 flats allotted to those evicted from the park, have been illegally sold or leased out. Janhit Manch, a local NGO, had initiated a PIL based on newspaper reports alleging that the rehabilitated slum dwellers were selling off their new houses in Chandivali.Dr Pandurang Munde, director of the park, in an affidavit before the court said that out of the 8,711 tenements that have been allotted so far, forest officers inspected a little over 3,000 of which only 2,227 were occupied by genuine allottees. The affidavit said that 329 flats had been leased out, 34 were sold, 531 were locked while 48 tenements had been put for commercial use. Under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority rules, such tenements can not be sold or leased for at least 10 years.Government pleader Dhairyashil Nalavade said the flats that had been sold had been taken back, and the allotment in those cases has been cancelled. He added that six criminal cases have been filed.However, the high court suggested that instead of putting more burden on the courts, the state should consider setting up an independent authority to hear such cases.