Kurla Eviction Operation: MMRDA Orders Removal Of 1,336 Illegal Occupants, Seeks Seeks Massive GST Payment

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has embarked on a significant operation to evict illegal occupants from 1,336 tenements situated in two buildings in Kurla. These buildings were originally intended as transit accommodations for slum dwellers displaced from airport land.

Notices have been issued to the resolution professional of Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL), a developer currently in insolvency proceedings, to vacate both the residential and 50 commercial units in the Premier Compound, according to a report by The Times of India.

In addition to the eviction notices, the MMRDA has demanded the payment of over Rs 35 crore in rental arrears, including Goods and Services Tax (GST), to be settled within a month. To facilitate the eviction process, police protection has been requested from October 7 to October 10.

This protection will assist in the removal of illegal occupants from buildings numbered 5 and 6, which were allocated to HDIL nine years ago. Residents have alleged that these tenements were unlawfully transferred by HDIL to individuals who were not eligible.

Background On The Tenements

The tenements in question were constructed in 2009 by HDIL as part of a slum rehabilitation scheme intended to benefit residents of Bharat Nagar and other slum families living near the airport.

This initiative followed an agreement signed in December 2006 between Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) and the MMRDA, aimed at facilitating the relocation of slum dwellers from airport land. In 2007, HDIL received a letter of intent to undertake the resettlement and rehabilitation of these slum residents.

In 2021, the MMRDA assumed control of the buildings, which had previously been managed by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). This change in management revealed that many of the flats had been occupied illegally or by trespassers.

Concerns Of Residents

Advocate Yusuf Khan explained, "The lease agreement was only for three years, and they were supposed to pay Rs 8,000 for each unit. HDIL defaulted on the payment, and there was no renewal of the agreement, leading to the current situation."

Local activists have expressed concerns about the legality of the current occupants, stating, "The original allottees are missing, and it appears that others are living in their names. We have requested the MMRDA and the police to take action against these illegal occupants."

One resident voiced his anxiety, saying, "I rented my place by paying Rs 5 lakh to agents. If the MMRDA proceeds with the eviction, I'm worried about how I will recover my deposit. Many of us live here without proper documentation."

As the MMRDA advances with its eviction plans, the outcome for the illegal occupants and the authority's efforts to reclaim the properties remains uncertain.