Mumbai News Desk

56 minutes ago

The Maharashtra Legislature has passed an amendment to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) Act to revive the implementation of Section 79A, clearing a major legal hurdle that had stalled the redevelopment of more than 13,000 old and dilapidated cessed buildings in Mumbai. The amendment seeks to restore MHADA's powers to intervene when landlords fail to initiate redevelopment of unsafe structures while enabling occupants to undertake redevelopment with majority consent. The Bill now awaits the Governor's assent and is expected to accelerate long-pending redevelopment projects, improving housing safety for lakhs of residents across Mumbai.Read more

1 hour ago

The Karnataka High Court has upheld the uniform property tax regime for five-star hotels within Bengaluru's erstwhile BBMP limits, ruling that luxury hotels constitute a distinct category eligible for a common tax slab irrespective of location. Dismissing petitions challenging the levy, the court held that the classification does not violate Article 14 of the Constitution. The judgment reinforces the civic authority's taxation framework, providing greater legal certainty for municipal revenue collection and reducing the scope for future disputes.Read more

3 hours ago

A Delhi court has cancelled the bail granted to Rahul Chamola, director of Nivas Promoters Pvt Ltd, in a case involving the alleged cheating of homebuyers in a Greater Noida housing project. The court found that Chamola repeatedly violated bail conditions, ignored judicial directions and failed to cooperate fully with the investigation. The prosecution had sought cancellation of his bail, granted in December 2023, citing persistent non-compliance, including failure to appear before the court, non-payment of costs imposed by the judiciary and repeated breaches of investigation requirements. The court held that his conduct constituted sufficient legal grounds to revoke the concession of bail.Read more

4 hours ago

• The Maharashtra government has suspended 15 Revenue Department officials, including deputy collectors and tehsildars, over alleged irregularities in land record modifications.
• The action follows an official inquiry that identified suspected misuse of legal provisions governing corrections to land records.
• Authorities have ordered departmental proceedings and directed a broader review of similar cases across the state to detect potential irregularities.
• The government has also indicated that amendments to the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code will be considered to strengthen safeguards against future misuse.Read more

6 hours ago

• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth INR 1,021 crore as part of its money laundering investigation involving the Reliance Anil Ambani Group.
• The attached properties include land parcels, buildings and other immovable assets allegedly linked to entities under investigation.
• The agency's action follows allegations of financial irregularities and diversion of funds connected to loans obtained from financial institutions.
• The provisional attachment has been carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with the investigation continuing into the alleged transactions and beneficiary entities.Read more

7 hours ago

• A district court in Maharashtra's Washim has ordered the attachment of an NHAI-operated toll plaza after compensation awarded to landowners in an acquisition case remained unpaid.
• The order follows the National Highways Authority of India's alleged failure to comply with revised compensation directions issued by the competent authority.
• The attachment is intended to facilitate recovery of pending dues owed to affected landowners whose property was acquired for a national highway project.
• The case is being viewed as a significant development in the enforcement of land acquisition compensation orders against public infrastructure agencies.Read more

9 hours ago

• The West Bengal government has announced a direct land purchase policy under which it will purchase land directly from willing owners and transfer it to industries, replacing the contentious land acquisition model that triggered disputes in Singur and Nandigram.
• The policy will be accompanied by a single-window clearance mechanism for investment proposals of INR 100 crore and above, aimed at simplifying project approvals and improving the state's ease of doing business.
• The government said the initiative seeks to create a transparent and consent-based framework for industrial land procurement while balancing the interests of landowners and investors.
• Industry associations have welcomed the move, stating that the policy could remove a long-standing hurdle to industrial development and strengthen investor confidence in West Bengal's manufacturing ecosystem.Read more

Mumbai News Desk

10 hours ago

• A Maharashtra government-appointed committee has submitted an interim report recommending the removal of eight religious structures and the relocation or consolidation of three others in Dharavi Sector 1 as part of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
• The recommendations are based on the Supreme Court's September 29, 2009 cut-off date for unauthorised religious structures on public land, with post-cut-off structures proposed for removal.
• The committee has identified 590 religious structures across the redevelopment area and has begun a phase-wise review, having conducted 149 hearings involving trusts, community representatives and government officials.
• The report marks an important step in resolving land-use issues for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project while attempting to balance legal requirements, redevelopment objectives and religious sensitivities.Read more

11 hours ago

• Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said Gujarat's approach to land acquisition could serve as a model for other states undertaking infrastructure projects.
• He credited the state's administrative mechanisms for helping expedite highway development while reducing disputes during land acquisition.
• Gujarat has introduced measures to curb speculative land transactions along proposed highway alignments during the planning stage.
• The minister also reviewed ongoing national highway projects and urged the state to continue accelerating infrastructure development.Read more

15 hours ago

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has reaffirmed that the remediation of the Okhla and Bhalswa landfill sites remains on schedule for completion by December 2026, while the Ghazipur landfill is targeted for full clearance by December 2027. Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi recently reviewed the progress with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, highlighting advances in biomining, waste processing and land reclamation. The civic body has already reclaimed large portions of the Okhla and Bhalswa sites and plans to convert the recovered land into green spaces and public-use areas once the remediation work is completed.Read more