High Court restrains Mhada from selling 1% flats through lottery

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Thursday asked the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) not to put up all its flats for sale through lottery to be held on May 31, but to set aside 1% for the disabled. This is the second year that the HC has sent the order to the government agency. Currently, 2,593 flats are up for allotment. 

    A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Nitin Jamdar was hearing a petition filed by an NGO, India Centre for Human Rights and Law, stating that Mhada reserved only 2% against the required 3% of its flats for the disabled. The NGO's advocate, Kranti L C, argued that in 2010, the State Coordination Committee on Disability had directed Mhada to increase the quota from 2% to 3% but the agency was yet to comply. "As they had not done it last year, the court had restrained the sale of 1% of its total flats. Similar direction should be passed this year," he said. 

    Kranti also submitted that though the court had directed Mhada to rework its definition of disability to be inclusive of seven categories provided in the Persons with Disabilities Act, the agency have out flats to just two categories, blind and low vision. 

    Deferring the hearing beyond vacation, the judges directed Mhada to amend its definition of disability as well not to draw lots for 1% of its total flats.