Mumbai : A state government decision on Monday, to withdraw a review petition will prove to be a boon to over 4.5 lakh occupants of homes built on private forest land.
The Bombay High Court in its 2008 decision had called the residents encroachers and passed an order for demolition of all buildings on private forest land. Later in January, the Supreme Court gave relief to the residents, but the then state government had decided to challenge the decision and had filed a review petition. The state government today decided to withdraw the petition.
About 1,066 buildings and 31,268 tenements along with 45,220 slum settlements were going to be affected by this decision of the state government. Taking a note of which, the state government approached Additional Solicitor General of India and withdrew the review petition. The areas which were declared as private forestlands included Mauje (Mulund), Nahur, Vikhroli, Poisar and Malad in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) along with Mauje Kavesar, Kolshet and Pach Pakhadi in the Thane city region spread over an area of 1926.35 acres.
