Despite the State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) finding prima facie evidence that MHADA officials and developers conspired to create a loss to the state exchequer in the redevelopment of the city’s cessed structures, the housing body has failed to recoup compensation from developers.
Meanwhile, MHADA has petitioned the Supreme Court (SC) to reverse the Bombay High Court ruling of 2019, which required the registration of FIRs against erring MHADA officers. Activist Kamlakar Shenoy has described the housing body’s plea before the Supreme Court as “illegal and bad in law,” accusing it of concealing vital facts and failing to approach the court with “clean hands.”
RTI discovered that up to March 14, 2014, MHADA has given redevelopment NOCs for 1,728 projects, with 379 builders failing to meet their requirements. Shenoy filed a public interest litigation at the High Court in 2017. The MHADA contested the HC’s 2019 verdict in the Supreme Court, which then issued a notice to Shenoy.
The activist has now urged that the MHADAS petition be dismissed, stating that the HC’s judgement merely requires the trial court to follow the law after taking cognisance of the offence. He emphasised that overturning the HC decision could set a hazardous precedent, encouraging public servants to be negligent and resulting in additional damages to the government.
Source: The Free Press Journal
