Bombay HC Orders BMC to Identify Land for Sanitation Workers Housing
In Mumbai, the Bombay High Court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to thoroughly examine its land holdings and submit a detailed report on properties that can be used to construct free housing for municipal sanitary workers.
A bench comprising Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale issued the directives on August 31, expressing sharp displeasure over an 18-year delay in executing an October 2008 Maharashtra government policy meant to grant ownership homes to municipal sanitation staff. The high court was hearing three petitions filed by the Akhil Bharatiya Safai Kamgar and General Union alongside two individual sanitation workers.
During the proceedings, the bench rejected a recent affidavit submitted by the Municipal Commissioner, finding it vague and non-compliant with earlier judicial directions. The court observed that sanitary workers remain among the most exploited, marginalized, and vulnerable workforces, emphasizing that they cannot face systemic neglect regarding their entitlement to permanent shelter under the government policy.
The judges voiced serious concern over land allocation practices in the city. The bench noted that while large tracts of public land have vanished from the municipal pool through slum encroachments and transfers to private developers, the civic body's essential workforce continues to be deprived. The court questioned whether it was conscionable for the administration to neglect these employees simply because they belong to the lowest rung in the employee hierarchy.
According to earlier submissions, the BMC oversees thousands of leasehold lands, tenanted properties, and amenity plots across Mumbai. However, the court highlighted that the corporation has failed to allocate even an inch of land for sanitation worker housing since the policy was introduced in 2008. The bench stressed that the law does not permit discrimination against sanitary workers under constitutional principles safeguarding their interests.
The High Court warned that if the civic body fails to provide complete transparency regarding its available real estate, the court may appoint an independent committee to inspect and evaluate the utility of BMC-owned land. The Municipal Commissioner has been granted time until September 9, 2026, to reconsider the administration's stance and submit a comprehensive, fresh affidavit detailing the occupancy and feasibility of all municipal properties.
