IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
A. S. Gadkari, KAMAL KHATA, JJ
Smt. Saranga Anil Kumar Aggarwal - Appellant
Versus
State Of Maharashtra - Respondent
WRIT PETITION NO.3087 OF 2023 WITH INTERIM APPLICATION (L) NO.28840 OF 2024
Decided On : 02-01-2025
(A) Constitution of India - Article 226 - Writ of Mandamus - Petitioner, a developer, sought entitlement to additional Transferable Development Rights (TDR) under Tripartite Agreements and DCPR 2034 - Court found that the Petitioner did not fulfill necessary conditions for claiming benefits under new regulations - Previous agreements and regulations were deemed to prevail over newer ones - The Petition was dismissed as not maintainable. (Paras 6-17)
(B) Slum Rehabilitation Scheme - Entitlement to benefits under new regulations requires compliance with conditions - Petitioner's claim for DRCs under DCPR 2034 was rejected as it was not supported by necessary legal basis. (Paras 7, 10, 12, 14)
JUDGMENT :
Kamal Khata, J.
1) By this Writ Petition, filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India , the Petitioner seeks the following reliefs:
“a) that this Hon’ble Court be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus, or a Writ in the nature of Mandamus, or any other appropriate writ, order or direction, under Article 226 of the Constitution to declare that the Petitioner is entitled to land Transferable Development Rights (TDR) in the form of Development Rights Certificates (DRC) under all three Tripartite Agreements in respect of land surrendered under the Scheme in accordance with DCPR 2034 i.e. at twice the land area (as per Sub-Clause 4.1.1 of Regulation 32 in Table
12-A. b) that this Hon’ble Court be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus or a Writ in the nature of Mandamus, or any other appropriate writ, order or direction under Article 226 of the Constitution, directing the Respondents to issue a recommendation letter to MCGM for release and issuance of DRCs for Land TDR to the Petitioner for the entire land area at the rate specified in DCPR 2034 i.e. the DRCs for the balance land TDR of 19,436.24 sq. meters and also to direct the Respondents to permit the Petitioner the DRC so issued to be utilized as per DCR 1991 as the said Scheme is permitted to be completed in accordance with DRC, 1991 as per sub-clause 11.2 (1) of Regulation 33 (10) of DCPR 2034.
c) that this Hon’ble Court be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus or a Writ in the nature of Mandamus, or any other appropriate writ, order or direction, under Article 226 of the Constitution, directing the Respondents to issue a DRCs for Land TDR to the Petitioner as set out in prayer clause (a), (b) and (c) above.
d) that pending the hearing and disposal of the Petition the Respondents be directed by an interim order to issue or arrange for the MCGM to issue DRCs for Land TDR to the Petitioner for the entire land area at the rate specified in DCPR 2034 ie the DRCs for the balance land TDR of 19,436.24 sq. meters as set out in prayer clause (a) and (b) above within a period of no more than four weeks from the date of such order passed by this Hon’ble Court;
e) for costs f) for such further and other reliefs, as this Hon’ble Court may deem fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case.”
BRIEF FACTS:
2) Petitioner is a developer and Constituted Attorney of the original landowner, a textile processing corporation, which offered 37,935 square meters of land at village Goregaon, Oshiwara District Centre, for a Slum Rehabilitation Scheme specifically for construction of tenements for ‘Project Affected Persons’ (PAPs) in accordance with clause 3.11 of Appendix IV of Development Control Regulations (DCR)1991, Regulation 33 (10).
2.1) The said land, forms part of the notified Oshiwara District Centre area, for which the Petitioner’s Slum Rehabilitation Scheme (SR Scheme) was approved by the MMRDA, designated as a Special Planning Authority under Section 40 of the MRTP Act, 1966.
2.2) The Petitioner executed a Tripartite Agreement dated 5th August 2003 for development of the SR scheme under which the Petitioner agreed to construct and provide tenements to PAPs identified by the Respondent No.2 for rehabilitation of slum dwellers from the area required to be cleared for the Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project (“MUIP”). As consideration, the Respondent No.3 agreed to grant DRCs as per DCR 33 (10) read with clauses 3.11, 3.5 and 3.19 (II) of Appendix IV of DCR 1991.
2.3) During the project’s implementation, the Petitioner acquired development rights of the adjoining lands admeasuring 11,165.1 sq. mts and submitted a revised proposal to the MMRDA for including it in the earlier sanctioned scheme making it to a total of 49,100.4 sq.mts of land. The MMRDA accorded its sanction to the revised scheme and issued a revised Letter of Intent (LOI) on 20th June 2005. Pursuant to the issuance of the revised LOIs’, two further Tripartite Agreements, dated 12th August 2005 and 17th August 2005 w
Jamshed Hormusji Wadia V/s. Board of Trustees, Port of Mumbai
Gas Authority of India Limited V/s. Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited
Shabbi Construction Company V/s. City and Industrial Development Corporation
A developer cannot claim benefits under new regulations without fulfilling the necessary conditions stipulated, and a writ cannot be issued to establish a non-crystallized legal right.
A Writ cannot create a legal right; it can only enforce an already established right. Entitlement under new regulations requires compliance with specific conditions, which were not met in this case.
Entitlement to Transferable Development Rights (TDR) arises only upon land surrender, not application submission, as per the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act.
Point of Law : Right to property although is no longer a Fundamental Right after 42nd Amendment to the Constitution, it is constitutionally secured.
The court established that retrospective application of government directives curtailing vested rights is impermissible unless expressly stated, reinforcing the doctrine of promissory estoppel.
Owner of land is under obligation to develop or construct amenity on surrendered land at his cost and Planning Authority has to reciprocate the same by granting Additional FSI or Additional TDR.
TDR detached from originating land and utilized elsewhere loses immovable property character and link thereto; claimant cannot seek ownership in constructed units on receiving land or implead its own....
The right to Transferable Development Rights (TDR) for constructed amenities accrues at the time of land surrender, and amendments to regulations do not apply retrospectively, ensuring compensation r....
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