BMC cannot act arbitrarily towards citizens: HC

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is known as the richest municipal corporation in the country, cannot act arbitrarily towards its citizens, the High Court has pulled over the affairs of the municipal administration. The court slammed the municipal corporation for failing to provide rent or alternative accommodation to the project victims.

The petitioner's house was demolished in November 2017. However, since then he has not been paid any rent or provide alternative accommodation. On the contrary, the municipal administration is forcing him to live in the Mahul area, which is highly polluted and declared unfit for human habitation, a bench of Justice Mahesh Sonak and Justice Kamal Khata told the municipal administration.

At the same time, the court also directed the municipal corporation to file a reply to the petitioner and to pay an interim rent of ten thousand rupees till the further order. The court also directed the municipal corporation that it cannot claim that it is not in a position to provide permanent alternative accommodation to the petitioner and will not pay any rent. Similarly, the municipal corporation was also ordered to explain through an affidavit the measures taken to provide alternative accommodation to thousands of project victims.

The petitioner has refused to relocate to Mahul. However, as the municipal administration was not providing him with house rent or alternative accommodation, the petitioner approached the High Court. Arguing his petition, the Municipal Corporation admitted that alternative accommodation has not yet been made available. However, the municipal administration claimed in the court that when the petitioner was offered a monthly house rent of INR 15,000 as per the order of the High Court, he expressed his displeasure and refused to accept it. 


However, the court reprimanded the municipal corporation for this approach to the project victims. After the Municipal Corporation demolished the petitioner's house in November 2017 and made the petitioner eligible for permanent alternative accommodation, the matter was not taken seriously. It is not possible to say when the petitioner will be provided permanent alternative accommodation. Moreover, house rent or compensation is also being refused. The bench heard that the country's richest municipal corporation cannot act arbitrarily or ignore the plight of its citizens.