The Bombay High Court on Friday emphasised the vision of making Mumbai a slum-free city and expressed concerns over the plight of slum dwellers, who often fall victim to private developers. A division bench of Justices G. S. Kulkarni and Somasekhar Sunderesan underlined the importance of rigorous implementation of the Maharashtra Slum Area (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act to achieve this goal.
"Mumbai, being an international city and the financial capital of our country, should be absolutely slum-free. This Act is crucial in realising that vision," the court remarked. The bench also stressed that the responsibility for implementing the provisions of the Act lies with the government.
The bench was constituted last week to conduct a 'performance audit' of the Act, following the Supreme Court's concerns raised in July regarding its effectiveness. The High Court also highlighted the need for sustainable development in the city.
The court has directed the government, the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, and other involved parties to submit their affidavits and scheduled the next hearing for Sept. 20.
(With inputs from PTI)
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