July 21, 2025: The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) to finalise the long-pending redevelopment plan for Kalyan Bhavan, a dilapidated building located on Kalbadevi Road in south Mumbai. The court asked MHADA to evaluate the proposals submitted by both the landlord and the tenants and arrive at a decision within 15 days.
The redevelopment dispute dates back to 2023, when MHADA declared Kalyan Bhavan unsafe for occupancy. In May 2023, MHADA issued a notice to the landlord, requiring him to submit a redevelopment proposal within six months, backed by the consent of at least 51% of the tenants.
The landlord submitted the proposal on June 4, 2024, and MHADA issued a Letter of Intent (LoI), effectively approving the plan. However, tenants challenged this decision in the Bombay High Court in November 2024, arguing that the landlord had missed the stipulated deadline. Citing a 2022 amendment to the MHADA Act, they claimed that tenants gain the right to redevelop such properties if the landlord fails to act in time.
The court noted that the landlord had not complied with the required timelines and ruled that the tenants’ proposal also deserved consideration. With no resolution in sight, tenants again approached the High Court in 2025, seeking direction for MHADA to evaluate and finalise their proposal.
On July 9, a division bench comprising Justices G.S. Kulkarni and Arif Doctor ordered MHADA to assess both proposals and finalise the redevelopment plan within 15 days. Acknowledging MHADA’s ongoing demolition drive, the court also directed tenants to cooperate with the demolition and vacate the premises to allow the redevelopment process to proceed without hindrance.
Source: Hindustan Times
