Maharashtra government forms expert committee to conduct performance audit of SRA Act

The Maharashtra government has constituted an expert committee to conduct a comprehensive performance audit of the Maharashtra Slum Areas Improvement Clearance and Redevelopment Act 1971 with the aim of identifying shortcomings in its implementation and recommending measures to accelerate longpending Slum Rehabilitation Authority SRA projects across the stateThe committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary Housing has been tasked with reviewing the functioning of the legislation and submitting its recommendations to the state government within 10 months according to a Government Resolution GR issued on FridayCommittee to review implementation of SRA lawThe performance audit will assess how effectively the 1971 Act has been implemented over the years and identify administrative legal and procedural bottlenecks that have delayed slum redevelopment projectsThe government expects the committees recommendations to help streamline the rehabilitation process and improve the pace of redevelopment under the Slum Rehabilitation AuthorityThe Chief Executive Officer of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority SRA will serve as the Member Secretary of the committee and coordinate its workMultidisciplinary panel includes civic and industry representativesThe expert panel comprises senior officials from the Housing and Urban Development departments along with representatives from key civic bodies and professional organisationsAmong its members are officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC and Pune Municipal Corporation PMC as well as representatives from architects associations to provide technical expertise on redevelopment issuesThe committee also includes BJP MLA Parag Alvani and Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale as political representativesThe broadbased composition is intended to ensure that the committee considers administrative legal technical and stakeholder perspectives while reviewing the existing frameworkMove follows Bombay High Court directionsThe state government said the committee has been constituted in compliance with directions issued by the Bombay High Court on May 8 2026 in a suo motu writ petition concerning the implementation of the Maharashtra Slum Areas Improvement Clearance and Redevelopment Act 1971During the proceedings the High Court observed that several stakeholders had expressed concerns over the functioning of the existing rehabilitation framework and called for an independent review of the laws implementationStakeholders had raised concerns over delaysAccording to the Government Resolution the High Court noted that developers landowners cooperative housing societies and legal experts had highlighted various issues affecting the execution of SRA projectsThese concerns reportedly include procedural delays administrative hurdles and implementation challenges that have slowed the progress of rehabilitation schemes across MaharashtraIn response the court directed the state government to establish an expert committee to conduct a performance audit and recommend reformsFocus on improving redevelopment processThe committee is expected to evaluate the effectiveness of the current legal and administrative framework governing slum rehabilitation and suggest practical measures to improve transparency accountability and efficiencyIts recommendations are likely to focus on simplifying procedures addressing policy gaps and reducing delays in project approvals and implementationThe government believes that the audit will help strengthen the implementation of the Slum Rehabilitation Authoritys programmes and facilitate faster redevelopment of eligible slum areas while ensuring that the interests of residents and other stakeholders are adequately protectedWith inputs from PTI