HC declares Mumbai's Borivali, Thane forest land

RE-DESIGNATED PRIME LAND: Mumbai's 1.5 lakh residents will pay for a goof-up by the state government's revenue dept.

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Mumbaikars may lose lakhs over forestland ruling

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• Mumbaikars may lose lakhs over forestland ruling

Keywords: BARC, Mulund

Mumbai: The Mumbai High Court on Monday upheld the Maharashtra government's decision to declare parts of land in Mumbai's central and eastern suburbs as forest land.

The order will affect more than 1.5 lakh residents in the city and put a question mark on the legality of structures that have been erected in the hundreds of acres in Mumbai’s suburbs.

More than 1.5 lakh residents in Mumbai's suburbs are paying for a goof-up by the Maharashtra Government's revenue department.

In 1955-62, the forest department identified certain areas in Mulund, Thane, Borivali and Bhandup as private forest land. But this change was not reflected in the 7/12 extracts of the revenue department.

After a petition by an NGO, the government re-designated forest land in 2006 and the re-designated land includes 200 acres of BARC, 200 acres of Filmcity and 2000 acres in Borivali amongst others.

Residents are now questioning why they should pay for the government's mistakes.

“How will the common man, who's buying land, would know that this is under the forest lands? Suddenly, in 2006 they come and put up the Forest Department's name in the 7/12 extract,” said petitioner Mahavir Urs.

“After paying stamp duty, registration to the government, permission was given by the BMC and even today I have all original documents – they're all ready. Now, the government has come back today and says, ‘They're all illegal’,” complained a resident, B Kothiyal.

Even as these complications between the Forest Department and landowners continue, greater trouble looms for those investing in new properties with the builder refusing to return their money and existing owners not finding new takers, the only alternative for them is to take it to the Supreme Court.

With inputs from Kajal Iyer