Hundreds of residents from two major slum rehabilitation projects in Mumbai's Worli area staged a strong protest on Sunday, expressing outrage over a recent decision by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). The bone of contention is the SRA's move to terminate the current developer for the projects, a decision that the inhabitants fear will once again derail their long-awaited dream of permanent homes and place the future of approximately 2,500 families in serious jeopardy.
Residents' Fury and Election Boycott Threat
The protest was organized by the residents of Sagar Darshan and Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony SRA Housing Societies at the Koli Samaj Bhavan in Worli. The slum tenants voiced a clear and urgent warning: if the SRA proceeds with its plan to revoke the Letter of Intent (LoI) granted to Chintaharni Chintpurni Realtors in October 2024, they will actively boycott the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Both projects fall under the jurisdiction of BMC's Ward No. 193, giving their collective vote significant political weight.
The core grievance of the residents is the sudden uncertainty injected into projects that had finally seen a glimmer of hope after decades of delay. Advocate Nilesh Haldankar, representing the Chaitanya Sai Janata Housing Society, argued that the project, stalled for nearly 30 years, was recently revived by a legally appointed developer. He stated that after thorough scrutiny, the SRA itself granted formal construction approval in October 2024, leading to work progressing at full speed. "However, while construction was progressing smoothly, SRA issued a notice under Section 13(2) seeking to remove the developer—without citing any clear, transparent, or justifiable reason," Haldankar said. This action, according to the residents, has pushed the entire initiative back into a state of limbo.
The SRA's Stance and Official Reasoning
On the other side, SRA officials have defended their action as a routine administrative review of stalled projects. They provided a detailed timeline to justify the notices sent to the developer earlier this month. For the Sagar Darshan project, the LoI was issued in October 2023. Officials claim that the builder has failed to even complete work up to the plinth level in over a year, showing negligible progress.
In the case of Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony, the project was accepted in February 2023. Here, the SRA's contention is that the developer has been unable to clear ongoing litigation linked to the project, which was a prerequisite for making tangible progress. "We expected the project to be delivered in 2-3 years, but hardly any progress has been made. The builder has only taken the LoI and not done any work," an SRA official explained. They emphasized that reviewing stuck projects is a standard process handled by the CEDO in a quasi-judicial capacity and that a fair hearing is scheduled for December 24 for all parties involved before any final decision is taken.
A Larger Pattern and Call for Justice
Promoters of the housing societies see this as part of a disturbing pattern. Rajesh Dhawan, Chief Promoter of Sagar Darshan Society, pointed to an adjacent SRA project involving 2,054 families where similar action under Section 13(2) has reportedly been initiated despite judicial proceedings being underway. "Such steps raise serious concerns about whether the SRA administration is undermining due process and disregarding the authority of the High Court," Dhawan stated. He emphasized that the current developer retains the full confidence and support of the residents and is willing and capable of completing the project.
The sentiment on the ground is one of exhaustion and demand for basic justice. Shekhar Keer, chief promoter of the Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony Society, encapsulated the protesters' demand in simple terms: "Our demand is simple—justice and our homes." Frustrated by what they label as an "anti-people stance" by the SRA, the Worli residents have now warned of escalating their protest into a large-scale public agitation if their concerns are not addressed promptly, setting the stage for a significant confrontation over urban housing rights in the heart of Mumbai.
