Mumbai, May 8 The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to set up an expert panel within four weeks to carry out a performance audit of the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act.
A bench of Justices G S Kulkarni and Advait Sethna said the Act needs to be made more efficient in order to achieve the "distant dream" of "slum-free" Mumbai and other cities.
The order was passed on a plea taken up suo motu (on its own) in response to a Supreme Court directive to review the working of the Act and assess its implementation.
The court, while pronouncing its verdict on Friday, said it feels strongly that there are some issues which are required to be considered by the authorities and those who implement the Act very seriously.
The ideal situation on town-planning appears to have taken a backseat, more particularly on public lands, the court opined.
The court said the expert panel should have adequate members to carry out a performance audit of the Act to make it more effective with the "objective of enabling the government to achieve the distant dream of slum free Mumbai as well as the other major cities in the state of Maharashtra".
The court noted that the problems that persist presently reflect an "abysmal progress of the ideals of town planning expected of an international city like Mumbai when large areas are still slums".
"Any town planning which does not sail with the times is questionable," it added.
Despite all efforts, authorities have failed to eradicate slums in the city, the HC said while urging for adoption of an area-wise systematic and scientific approach.
While it was a "herculean task", it is not impossible if those at the helm have determination and a robust and genuine willingness to achieve public good in this important area in the city marching into the 21st century, the HC said.
