Bombay High Court Flags "Abysmal" Town Planning, Orders Audit of Slum Act

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to constitute a high-level expert committee to conduct a performance audit of the Maharashtra Slum Areas Act, 1971.

The Bench criticized the "abysmal" progress of town planning in Mumbai, noting that the 55-year-old law has failed to achieve a slum-free city.

The Court suggested a "systematic and scientific approach" to phase out slums and proposed creating a specialized redevelopment corporation.

Highlighting the city's structural decay, Justice Kulkarni poignantly cited the classic lyrics, "Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan... yeh hai Bombay meri jaan."

[High Court on its own motion v. State of Maharashtra & Ors.]