Court quashes order branding NGO as trespasser

The Mumbai City Civil Court has set aside an order by the competent authority (an enquiry officer appointed by the BMC) that had declared the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) an unauthorised occupant of a municipal property earmarked for redevelopment under the market development programme.

- Pranali Lotlikar

MGP, which claims to serve over 30,000 beneficiaries, argued that it deserves permanent rights to the property and should not be treated merely as a licensee instead of a lessee.

The court criticised the competent authority for failing to exercise its powers to call for key documents from the BMC and for ignoring crucial records supplied to the appellant under the RTI Act. "In such circumstances, the impugned order requires interference," the court said.