Supreme Court Ends 50-Year Thane Land Dispute Case, Clears ₹2,800-Crore TDR Deal

Thane: In a landmark development, the Supreme Court of India has disposed of a highly publicized, decades-old land dispute concerning 193 acres of land in Chitalsar-Manpada, located at the foothills of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Taking note of a mutual settlement reached between the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and M/s D. Dahyabhai & Company Private Limited, the apex court has cleared the path for the issuance of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) estimated to be worth approximately ₹2,800 crore.

A 50-Year-Old Dispute Resolved

The ownership of the massive 193-acre parcel of land had been a matter of intense legal contention for over 50 years. While M/s D. Dahyabhai & Company asserted private ownership of the land, the State Government maintained that the property fell under forest land.

The conflict escalated further when the Thane Municipal Corporation designated approximately 100 acres of this land for a "public park reservation." Because this reservation prevented the private owners from commercially developing the land, the company demanded legal compensation in the form of TDR from the municipal corporation.

The Legal Journey and the TMC's Stand

Previously, the Bombay High Court had upheld the ownership rights of M/s D. Dahyabhai & Company, recognizing the land as private property. The High Court had ordered the TMC to grant legal compensation via Development Rights Certificates (DRC/TDR) within 21 days.

Challenging this decision, the TMC approached the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition (SLP). During the apex court hearings, the municipal corporation initially argued that the TDR had been withheld because the company failed to meet necessary conditions under the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR)—specifically citing incomplete administrative procedures, including land boundary fencing and the formal transfer of 7/12 extract (land titles). The Supreme Court had temporarily stayed the High Court’s order, halting the ₹2,800-crore TDR process.

The Supreme Court's Final Ruling

The stalemate officially concluded during a recent hearing before a Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice K. Vinod Chandran.

The court took formal note of a mutual compromise agreement reached between the Thane Municipal Corporation and M/s D. Dahyabhai & Company. Based on this settlement, the Supreme Court officially disposed of the petition.

While the court confirmed and maintained the company's ownership rights over the land, it also kept the TMC’s public park reservation rights intact. Following this resolution, discussions within municipal circles indicate that the TMC is now swiftly moving forward with the process of issuing the ₹2,800-crore TDR to the company as compensation.

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