The recent cases of religious discrimination, notably the controversial case of 25-year-old Misbah Quadri being allegedly evicted from a flat in Wadala, have jolted the Maharashtra government into taking the first steps towards putting in place fair housing laws to prevent the ghettoisation of the city.

The state minority department yesterday recommended the enactment of legal provisions prohibiting discrimination in the “sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions” based on race, colour and religion. The department has also recommended a reservation of nearly 10 per cent for minorities in the “sale, rental, and financing of dwellings”.