SRA initiates process to replace 33 developers for non-payment of rent
According to SRA officials, the violating developers have been defaulting on rent payments for anywhere from six months to 10 years
Mumbai: The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has initiated measures to replace the developers of as many as 33 slum redevelopment projects across Mumbai for defaulting on rent payments worth anywhere between ₹12 lakh and ₹6.62 crore to the residents of 9,843 tenements. The cumulative default amount is ₹33,48,75,614.

According to SRA officials, the violating developers have been defaulting on rent payments for anywhere from six months to 10 years. “We have initiated proceedings under section 13(2) of the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, to get the defaulting builder removed and have another one in place to allow the stuck projects to move forward,” said an SRA official, requesting anonymity.
Section 13(2) of the Act empowers the chief executive officer of the SRA to terminate a developer’s agreement if they violate any approved plans, conditions, or specified timelines.
The SRA initiated the process to terminate agreements with defaulting developers based on complaints raised by slum residents, who were assured redeveloped homes within a certain number of years.
The 33 SRA projects are in areas such as Kurla, Chembur, Mulund, Bhandup, Kandivali, Goregaon, Malad West, Jogeshwari East, Andheri East, Bandra East, and Khar.
One such default case is the redevelopment of the Punjab Colony in Sion Koliwada, involving 1,444 slum tenements. “As per the rules, the builder is supposed to pay the entire two years of rent at one go. Instead, in our area, the developer has issued four post-dated cheques, each of them having rent for six months. This is a violation of the rules. Already, a hearing process is underway to ouster the company. An order is awaited,” said Mandeep Singh, a resident of Punjab Colony.
ABOUT THE AUTHORAteeq ShaikhAteeq Shaikh is a Senior Assistant Editor tracking real estate and infrastructure. With over two decades in journalism, he has reported extensively on topics such as metro rail, infrastructure projects, redevelopment in Mumbai, affordable housing, real estate, environmental issues and public transportation. His data driven stories explain the impact of public policy and large scale infrastructure projects on citizens' lives. His recent detailed report on the government's fireside sale of several real estate parcels in Mumbai or nearly one-fifth of habitable Mumbai triggered a signature campaign by activists and the civil society. This plan also faced pushback from people impacted by the government's decision, which he also reported on. Ateeq was instrumental in getting Mumbai Metro One Private Limited, a Public - Partnership (PPP) project, recognised under the Right to Information Act, the first PPP in India under the transparency law. His consistent campaign on technical issues plaguing the Mumbai Monorail, India's only such transportation system, forced authorities to publicly acknowledge the problems and work towards a permanent fix. Despite multiple attempts by the authorities, the system continues to be a white elephant in Mumbai.Read More
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