Bombay High Court Is Moving to Bandra? Government Clears Way for 30-Acre New Complex

The state government has started the process to remove land reservations for the construction of a new integrated Bombay High Court in Bandra East. The project is part of the Development Plan 2034. The new building will come up on a 30-acre plot in the Bandra East government colony.

The land was earlier reserved for several public uses like a cultural centre, employee quarters, a playground, a garden, an electric transmission centre, a police station, police officer facilities, a water pumping station, a public utility building, BEST bus shelters, a public hall, government offices and roads.

A part of the land is occupied by the Gautam Nagar and Kamla Nagar slums. These slums cover 4.09 acres. The state cabinet has approved the relocation of these residents. They will be shifted to Malad East and Kandivali. The relocation is expected to be completed in a few months. The two slum areas have a total of 254 tenements. Out of these, 116 are residential and 138 are commercial.

The construction of the new court complex will be done in six phases. A steering committee was formed a year ago to guide the land de-reservation process. It includes the principal secretary of the Urban Development Department, Public Works Department, BMC, and the state’s top architect. The de-reservation officially began with a notice issued on June 20.

The decision follows a public interest litigation filed in 2014, which highlighted the shortage of space in the current court setup. Since then, more similar PILs have been filed by others. The government has already handed over 9.64 acres of the land for the court complex.

The area currently has 370 buildings that house government staff. These buildings are mostly two or three stories tall. They are now being demolished. The employees are being shifted to newly constructed 16-storey buildings within the same colony.

The new court complex will include 75 courtrooms. It will also have housing for judges and staff, an arbitration and mediation centre, an auditorium, a library, and other facilities for lawyers, litigants and court workers.