The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) to cancel the earlier housing lottery for 324 Bombay Dyeing mill workers and conduct a fresh draw for their allotment in Mumbai. The decision concerns flats in the Naigaon and Sewri areas that were developed for former mill employees.
MHADA informed the court that out of a total of 3,350 flats, 3,026 have already been allotted and occupied, while 324 applications were pending review. The bench, comprising Justices Girish Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe, noted that if the pending 324 flats have not yet been distributed, no claims have been registered on them, and there are no court orders affecting them, the previous lottery should be annulled and a fresh draw conducted. This ruling ensures that petitioners now have a fair opportunity to secure housing.
The petitioners had challenged the original allotment, arguing that some workers were given flats in Panvel instead of Naigaon, despite having worked in Mumbai. They cited concerns over inadequate access to public transasport, hospitals, and schools, and requested that housing be allocated within the city to reflect their employment in Mumbai mills.
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