The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) informed the Bombay High Court on Wednesday that as many as 56 allotments made under a rehabilitation scheme in Juhu have been cancelled. Suru K V Mohammad and 17 other residents of the Garib Mazdoor Sangh slum in the posh locality,had moved court alleging that the SRA in connivance with Kunal Builders,the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharahstra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) had inflated the number of slumdwellers eligible for housing under the scheme from 57 to 205. They alleged that a number of others including famous personalities like actor Sanjay Khans wife Zarine Khan and daughter Farah Khan Ali were also allotted tenements under the scheme. However,Farah had earlier denied the allegations and said their lawyers are dealing with the case. Petitioners lawyers Veena Thadani and Vishal Thadani,however,argued that the SRA,BMC and MHADA had brazenly connived with the builders and illegally allotted 133 tenements to ineligible people. The voters list of January 1,1995,showed that there were only 57 residents in the slum,they said. The report submitted by the SRA secretary stated that the 56 allotees who were found to be ineligible under the scheme included a Captain Salaria,who the petitioners alleged was a high-profile illegal allotee. However,it was silent on the eligibility or otherwise of the other allegedly high-profile allotees named by the petitioners. The SRA report states that of the 56 slum-dwellers whose eligibility was re-examined by the SRA,the documents produced by 20 were inadequate to prove their stay in the slum prior to 1995 and 36 did not attend the hearings before the SRA secretary. The SRAs affidavit had stated that as per the order of a High Power Committee in August,2011,the eligibility of 60 slum dwellers would be decided afresh. The committee had observed that the former secretary of SRA did not follow procedure while canceling eligibility of these slum dwellers. The affidavit also stated that the slum dwellers society and developer had on their own have allotted the rehabilitation tenements to slum dwellers without intimating the SRA. Taking the SRAs report on record,Justice S A Bobde and Justice R D Dhanuka disposed of the petition.
