Ten Bungalows at Malad West have been allegedly marked under Slum Rehabilitation Authority Scheme.

In Malad West at Orlem, owners of almost 10 bungalows, claiming they live there for decades, were allegedly told a member of a neighbouring colony of sweepers to incorporate them without their knowledge in a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme.

The 10 bungalows in D’Monte Lane received notifications of demolition after their owners were considered as Sairaj Guriyapada SRA CHS Ltd’s members, which permitted the implementation of an SRA scheme by Transcon-Sheth Creators (Pvt) Ltd.

On 13 June, the notices of demolition were delivered in accordance with Section 33/38 of the SRA Act and the structures were called for within 48 hours. On August 9 the owners of the bungalows obtained a stay from the apex grievance redressal committee of the SRA.

Despite the stay, access to one of the bungalows was reportedly blocked on 5 October and her power supply and water supplies were also cut. Once against, the residents approached the apex committee of the SRA and managed to get a stop-work order for the SRA sales component. Some also filed a case before the court.

Advocate David Joseph, Remedios’ family solicitor, said, “We urged the apex body to say that the developer was digging the structure’s foundation to collapse. The apex body came down heavily on the builder and asked the builder’s representative if they were digging under the bungalows that he denied.”

However, two engineering officers were appointed by the apex committee, who presented a report confirming the excavation work and disconnecting electricity and water supply. Consequently, the apex committee issued a notice of stop-work in the area surrounding the bungalows on October 19. Joseph alleged that a bogus society had been formed by the developer, the Sairaj Guriyapada SRA CHS Limited, consisting of 50 sweeper community members who had invaded some other land.

He added, “The developer then started to include private-owned chawls in this society. Therefore, the number of people grew from 50 to 1,500. The builder used this society to harass the owners of bungalows. But, they were unable to demonstrate the ownership certificate issued to my client to the apex committee. In return for 4,000-sqft bungalows, the builder would like to offer 269-sqft structures in 2024. The SRA scheme has already completed the selling of flats in the proposed 60-story buildings.

Bruce Remedios, Son of Connie, said: “We were shocked to learn that our bungalow was designated as a slum in spite of being residents of the third generation. Our plot was inspected and we were not informed. What gives the SRA the power to enter our plot at the request of a builder? For more than 50 years, we have been living here. Since my grandmother’s days, it has been our ancestral home.

Anita Masurkar, living in another bungalow in the Baretto Compound, said: “We got a 1,500 sqft bungalow with a 5,000-sqft garden and my aunt has a 1,500 sqft home, but under SRA we were clubbed. It was the brazen lie that we are the encroachers. My grandfather bought this land. We were cultivators then. Only now is the builder coming to the frame. Our 7.5 acres plot is next to the sweepers’ area, but we’ve nothing to do with it. How can they label us as slum-dwellers and sweepers?

Joseph said that the Apex Committee will now look at how this land is declared a slum, for the time being, the demolition has been halted. He added, “A slum is justified as hutment colony without water supply, electricity, drainage and streetlights. But, the bungalow owners have all these facilities and pay the necessary taxes. Hutment dwellers in the SRA scheme are far away from the property and how could an individual bungalow with a compound wall be declared a slum?” On 24 October he was issued a notice from the SRA’s apex body chairman, asking him to be available on 30 October in at Mantralaya for a hearing on the stop-work notice.

The developer did, however, deny the allegations and claim to own the property. Amit Jalan, nominee Director of Transcon-Sheth Creators (Pvt) Ltd, said, “This plot has been declared an SRA slum more than 10 years ago, and it’s a false statement by the residents that we are threatening them. Almost 225 who complained but all have vacated except one, and those who claim to have bungalows are actually encroachers. They’re demanding for Rs 8- 10 crore for a slum structure of 180 sqft. The matter is before the court and we are legally fighting it. We don’t force them or tell them to get out of their homes. No notices of eviction were released.

“The issue of slum declaration doesn’t fall within my jurisdiction. The issue is with the apex grievance redressal committee, and a slum Court appeal is pending. I cannot disclose more info or comment on a court issue,” said Executive Engineer, SRA, Pradeep Pawar.