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During the hearing regarding the poor condition of the housing scheme in Ahmedabad’s Behrampura, a bench led by Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi of Gujarat High Court criticised Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for failing to maintain the property and ordered the repairs.
The apartments were built under a central government scheme and were handed over to the AMC. However, the houses have deteriorated to a dangerous state in just 10-15 years.
Following sharp criticism, the court, the AMC has sprung into action. Expert opinions were quickly sought regarding the condition of these buildings, confirming that they are repairable.
Consequently, AMC presented its willingness to carry out repairs before the court on Wednesday.
The evaluation revealed that the buildings could be repaired rather than requiring complete reconstruction. These findings and proposed solutions, including repairs and reconstruction options, were submitted to the court on Wednesday.
The reports for the same will be presented in the further hearing which is scheduled in February.
The issue of deteriorating housing in Sikandar Bakht Nagar, Behrampura, was raised by residents in their appeal.
These housing units were built under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) as part of a resettlement and rehabilitation initiative by the Urban Development Department.
After construction, the housing was handed over to AMC, which allocated the houses between 2010 and 2014. Approximately 5,000 residents live across 992 flats in this housing project.
However, over the short span of 10–15 years, these buildings have deteriorated to a dangerously unsafe condition.
Due to safety concerns, AMC declared the buildings hazardous and issued notices under Section 265 of the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Act to all 992 flat owners on July 3, 2024, mandating repairs or demolition.
In response to this alarming situation, the Gujarat High Court raised serious questions about accountability of the authorities and asked why proper oversight and maintenance were not ensured.