The proposed redevelopment of Motilal Nagar in Goregaon West was cleared for progress on Friday after the Bombay High Court dismissed a review petition filed by a group of resident societies. With this development, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has been granted judicial backing to proceed with the transformation of the 141-acre residential colony—one of the largest in the city—through private partnership.
The petition had been brought before the court by the Motilal Nagar Vikas Samiti, which represents 21 local housing societies. The residents had sought a reversal of the High Court’s earlier order from March 2025 that permitted MHADA to carry out the redevelopment project through private developers. A stay on the ongoing process had also been requested as interim relief.
In the March order, the High Court had dismissed a public interest litigation from 2013 that focused on unauthorised construction in the colony and had simultaneously approved MHADA’s plan to invite bids from private developers for comprehensive redevelopment. The review plea had challenged this judgment on grounds that government policies permitted societies to self-develop and that under specific planning regulations, a developer of the society’s choice could be appointed. It was also argued that any such project required a minimum 51% resident consent.
However, it was held by the court that no fresh legal basis had been presented in the review application. MHADA’s counsel informed the bench that the authority, as the rightful landowner, had already completed a public bidding process following state approval. Adani Realty had been appointed as the Consultant and Development Agency (CDA) after qualifying in the process. The colony, which was originally constructed in the 1960s to house economically weaker sections, had gradually witnessed unauthorised extensions. Two previous PILs concerning these irregularities had been resolved by ordering the demolition of illegal structures. As a result, the need for formal redevelopment gained traction.
In September 2021, the Maharashtra Cabinet had designated the project a “Special Project,” and subsequently, a government resolution was issued in October. Following this, the tendering process was initiated, and MHADA moved forward with developer selection. The redevelopment is expected to affect over 5,300 families—3,700 of whom are MHADA residents and 1,600 are hutment dwellers—who will now be eligible for rehabilitation under the approved redevelopment scheme.