Mumbai: The residents of Worli’s Sagar Darshan and Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony SRA Housing Societies protested on Sunday against the Slum Rehabilitation Authority’s (SRA) decision to terminate the current developer just over a year after issuing a Letter of Intent (LoI) and attempting to appoint a new developer.The slum tenants stated that 2,500 families would be in jeopardy if the SRA proceeds with terminating the LoI given to Chintaharni Chintpurni Realtors in Oct 2024. Several residents mentioned that if the developer is abruptly terminated by the SRA, they will boycott the BMC elections. The two slum projects are located in BMC’s Ward No. 193. The SRA issued notices to the developer earlier this month, and a hearing is scheduled for Dec 24.SRA officials, however, stated that the LoI for Sagar Darshan was given in Oct 2023, and so far, the builder has not even completed work up to the plinth level. In the case of Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony, SRA officials said the project was accepted in Feb 2023, but the builder failed to clear the ongoing litigation and make any progress in the work. The SRA mentioned that reviewing stuck projects is a routine process, and there was nothing irregular in its notice since a fair hearing will be given to all parties before any final decision is made.“We expected the project to be delivered in 2-3 years, but hardly any progress has been made. The builder has only taken the LoI and not done any work. It was expected that the builder would get the litigation cleared in two years in the case of Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony, which he has not been able to do. Reviewing stuck projects is part of the routine process, and it is done by the CEDO in his quasi-judicial capacity. A fair hearing will be given to the builder and residents. Saying that SRA must not even conduct a review of a stuck project is unfair,” the official said.“The project that finally gained momentum after three decades of delay now faces fresh uncertainty due to controversial administrative decisions by the SRA. The project, stalled for nearly 30 years, was recently revived by a legally appointed, capable developer who followed all statutory procedures. After thorough scrutiny, the SRA itself granted formal construction approval in October 2024, following which work commenced at full speed. However, while construction was progressing smoothly, SRA issued a notice under Section 13(2) seeking to remove the developer—without citing any clear, transparent, or justifiable reason. This sudden move has pushed the project back into limbo and placed thousands of families at risk once again,” said Advocate Nilesh Haldankar, lawyer for the Chaitanya Sai Janata Housing Society.The project-affected residents held a symbolic protest at the Koli Samaj Bhavan in Worli to voice their grievances.“This is not an isolated incident. In an adjacent SRA project involving 2,054 families, where judicial proceedings are currently underway, similar action under Section 13(2) has reportedly been initiated. Such steps raise serious concerns about whether the SRA administration is undermining due process and disregarding the authority of the High Court (HC). The developer remains fully capable and willing to complete the project, and crucially, has the clear support of the residents. With no technical, legal, or financial shortcomings on record, a pressing question arises: Why is the SRA creating obstacles in a project meant to provide rightful homes to eligible slum dwellers?” said Rajesh Dhawan, Chief Promoter of Sagar Darshan Society.Shekhar Keer, chief promoter of the Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony Society, said, “Our demand is simple—justice and our homes.”Worli residents have now warned of a large-scale public agitation against what they describe as the SRA’s anti-people stance.
