Maharashtra is only state where encroachers get free housing: Bombay high court

MUMBAI: In scathing remarks, Bombay high court on Friday said Maharashtra was the only state in the country where encroachment is rewarded with free housing.

Unending illegal construction has made the problem of mass housing all the more complicated, it said.

“We are the only state, thanks to the wonderful policy of govt, where you encroach and get free housing....In one of our judgments, we had asked whether this would be permissible. Is this a constitutional policy, recognised by the Constitution?” it asked.

The bench was hearing a petition taken up suo motu (on its own) regarding a review of Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance, and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, following a Supreme Court judgment of July 30, 2024.

The apex court had highlighted concerns about the Act’s implementation, and directed HC to conduct a “performance audit.” This marks the first time the court will conduct an audit of an Act.
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