Aaditya Thackeray Urges Chief Minister to Halt Eviction of Mumbai MHADA Tenants
MUMBAI — Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday urged the Maharashtra Chief Minister to halt eviction notices served to tenants of dilapidated buildings in Mumbai and direct the housing authority to register them to protect their rights. This appeal followed the state legislature's passage of amendments to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development (MHADA) Act on Friday.
The newly passed amendments pave the way for the redevelopment of approximately 13,000 old and dilapidated cessed buildings in Mumbai. These reconstructions will be carried out through the Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board, which is an arm of MHADA.
The redevelopment of these cessed buildings, located mostly in the island city, has been a long-standing issue. Landowners have previously challenged MHADA’s authority to redevelop these structures in the Supreme Court. State government officials believe the new amendment will strengthen MHADA’s legal position in the upcoming apex court hearing scheduled for July 20.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Thackeray stated that the amendment bill should have been passed two years ago. He urged the state government to ensure that legal counsel for both MHADA and the state remain present for the Supreme Court hearing to facilitate a final verdict.
Thackeray also cautioned residents of the cessed buildings against yielding to pressure or eviction attempts by landlords before the Supreme Court delivers its verdict. He warned that tenants risk losing their housing rights once they are evicted from their homes.
To prevent this, Thackeray requested Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to direct MHADA to officially register the tenants, thereby securing their legal rights. Additionally, Thackeray demanded that retired police personnel be allocated homes in Mumbai from the thousands of housing units expected to be generated through these redevelopment projects, charging them only the construction cost.
