Expert committee on slum redevelopment law holds first review meeting, stresses faster process
The committee set up on High Court orders reviewed the 1971 slum law's implementation and discussed policy changes to speed up redevelopment.
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A significant step has been taken towards making the redevelopment of slums in Maharashtra more transparent, effective and quick. The first review meeting of the expert committee constituted on the orders of the High Court was held recently.
The meeting reviewed the implementation of the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, followed by a detailed discussion on the future action plan. Senior officials attended the meeting along with MLA Parag Alavani, who made important suggestions on ensuring that ordinary citizens get the benefit of the slum rehabilitation scheme at the earliest.
The committee was set up by the state government's housing department on July 31, 2026, in compliance with the Supreme Court's guidelines and orders issued under a suo motu petition filed in the Bombay High Court. The court had directed a performance audit of the effectiveness of the Act. It had also asked that a report be submitted after taking into account the suggestions of developers, landowners and legal experts.
Following the High Court's direction, the expert committee must submit its detailed recommendations to the state government within the next 10 months. A sub-committee of officials from various departments of the SRA will also be formed to assist the committee. It will include officials from the engineering, finance, land acquisition and town planning departments.
The meeting was attended by Asim Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department; Dr Mahendra Kalyankar, Chief Executive Officer of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA); former MP Rahul Shewale; Director of Town Planning Jitendra Bhople; architect Saloni Deodhar; and other senior officials.
The first meeting reviewed the current status of the Act and the obstacles to redevelopment. The meeting stressed that slum dwellers should get a dignified standard of living and that the dream of a slum-free city should be realised soon. Policy changes needed to speed up the administrative and technical work related to redevelopment were also discussed.
