Residents of Sheva Koliwada move Bombay HC over four-decade wait for rehabilitation

Residents of Sheva Koliwada in Uran taluka approach Bombay High Court against authorities for false rehabilitation assurances.

Residents of Sheva Koliwada in Uran taluka of Raigad district, Maharashtra, who have spent the past 40 years in a transit camp, have approached the Bombay High Court against multiple authorities — including the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Divisional Commissioner of Konkan Division, the Raigad District Collector, and CIDCO — alleging false assurances regarding rehabilitation.

Filed under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution, the petition seeks judicial directions against JNPA for what the petitioners describe as a gross failure to fulfil statutory obligations under the Maharashtra Project Affected Persons Rehabilitation Act, 1976.

The petitioners — the Maharashtra Small Scale Traditional Fish Workers Union, represented by its president Nandkumar W. Pawar and secretary Ramesh B. Koli — are seeking appropriate orders for permanent and adequate rehabilitation of 256 families displaced due to land acquisition for the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Project (JNPT).

The petition urges time-bound implementation of a rehabilitation plan approved on January 24, which includes the allocation of 10.16 hectares of land, interim relief, compensation for prolonged displacement, and the appointment of a court-monitored committee to oversee the implementation process.

The prolonged struggle has drawn media and administrative attention in recent years. A report titled ‘40 years in a transit camp’ published in The Hindu on November 16, 2024, and a follow-up story on November 20, 2024, highlighted electoral boycotts by the affected community. Following the coverage, officials from the Election Commission of India and the Raigad District Collector visited the area, promising to convey residents’ demands to higher authorities. On December 19, 2024, a senior Union government official gave a verbal assurance that permanent housing would soon be provided.

However, on April 14, more than 400 residents protested outside the tehsildar’s office, displaying a photograph of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and a copy of the Constitution, in a symbolic plea for justice. The protest was held to draw attention to the community’s displacement and the delay in rehabilitation by the State and Central governments.

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