RTI helps slum dwellers file FIR against developers
7 Jan, 2013
The residents of Maraiamma Nagar, a slum in Worli, approached the court when they didn’t find their names in the beneficiaries’ list of the ongoing redevelopment project of the area.
The slum dwellers had filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to know the status of the property. The reply to the query states that the property belongs to the municipal corporation and is reserved for Nehru Science Centre. This makes a no objection certificate (NOC) from the centre mandatory for any development in the area.
As the authorities concerned with the redevelopment project have not procured NOC from the centre, the slum dwellers contended that the construction is illegal. The court, after hearing the plea, has ordered the police to file an FIR against concerned authorities including the architects, developer and some prominent slum rehabilitation authority officials.