Bombay High Court (G. S. Kulkarni & Aarti Sathe, JJ.), by a common judgment dated 23 December 2025, disposed of a large batch of writ petitions under Article 226 concerning (i) non-payment of transit rent by slum rehabilitation developers and (ii) failure to hand over permanent alternate accommodation (coupled with non-payment of transit rent), without deciding merits. Building on its order dated 17 December 2025 and the SRA's compliance affidavit with Circular Nos. 230-233 (all dated 22 December 2025), the Court directed the petitioners to move applications, by 15 January 2026, before specially constituted SRA 'Special Cells'; complaints are to be heard on notice and decided ordinarily within fifteen days, extendable by a further fifteen (up to thirty) days for recorded reasons, failure whereof constitutes breach of the slum dwellers' Article 21 right to shelter and fixes accountability on officers. Orders of the cells are deemed orders of the SRA under the Slums Act; aggrieved parties retain statutory remedies before competent forums. The Court noted approvingly the SRA measures: freezing of part of the free-sale component (lower floors, sized by dwellers' numbers, a three-year rent cycle and Ready Reckoner value) as security for transit rent, with corresponding LOI conditions and bank guarantees where sale component is sold; stop-work notices and encashment of deposits on default; recovery of defaulted transit rent as arrears of land revenue under newly inserted Section 33B of the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971 (Mah. 42 of 2025, w.e.f. 29 August 2025); eviction of illegal occupants under Sections 3(E) and 33; and fortnightly audit/reporting. Defaulting developers were cautioned that courts would impose penal costs, and the SRA was directed to act sternly, including attachment of the free-sale component for repeat defaults. PAA entitlements already settled under the PAA Scheme or lottery are to be given effect without delay. Interest on transit rent follows SRA policy as observed in Vijay Namdeo Gujar v. State of Maharashtra, WPL 32632/2025. A separate general committee, with MHADA and Municipal Corporation nominees, will adjudicate Annexure-II eligibility and miscellaneous disputes (to be constituted by 10 January 2026). All contentions kept open; no costs.
