Table of Contents
Slum Rehabilitation Dispute? RTI to the SRA / Housing Board
In one line. Slum rehabilitation is executed by state authorities — Maharashtra SRA, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB), etc. Eligibility rosters, biometric-survey records, tenement allotment, and Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) entitlements are public records.
Part of Pillar 2 — RTI for Community & Society. See also PMAY installment RTI.
What is the problem
- Eligibility denied despite pre-cut-off residence.
- Tenement allotment deferred / changed post-survey.
- Cut-off date applied incorrectly.
- Biometric / Aadhaar mismatch blocks allotment.
- Eviction notice served without R&R alternative.
- Rent for transit accommodation not received during redevelopment.
- Developer defaults — work stalled mid-redevelopment.
When to use RTI
- Eligibility decision without written grounds.
- Allotment letter pending >6 months after survey.
- Transit-rent stopped / never paid.
- Developer name changed without R&R amendment.
What you can ask
- Biometric / door-to-door survey record covering your household.
- Cut-off date for the scheme and notification.
- Eligibility roster for your slum, with household reference (anonymised).
- Tenement allotment log (carpet area, floor, building).
- Developer / contractor agreement.
- Transit-rent schedule and disbursement history.
- R&R entitlement document.
- Grievance-log entries and action-taken.
Step-by-step RTI filing
- Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) / State Housing Board — city-level custodian.
- Municipal Corporation — for slum register / census.
- Department of Urban Development (state) — for policy / redevelopment approvals.
- MoHUA — for central convergence (JNNURM / PMAY).
- Rs. 10 fee; BPL free.
Sample RTI application
To, The Public Information Officer, [Slum Rehabilitation Authority / Housing Board / Municipal Corporation], [Address] Subject: Information under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, regarding slum rehabilitation. Sir/Madam, I, [Name], resident of [House Number / Hut Number, Slum / Basti, Ward, City], submit: Slum / Basti Name: ________ Scheme / Project Reference: ________ Cut-off date claimed: ________ Developer (if redevelopment): ________ Household reference (survey ID, if any): ________ Please provide: 1. Certified copy of the door-to-door / biometric survey record covering my household. 2. Cut-off-date notification applicable to my slum and its approving authority. 3. Eligibility roster for my slum in anonymised format with household serial numbers. 4. Tenement-allotment log — carpet area, floor, building, and disbursement stage. 5. Developer / contractor agreement with project timeline. 6. Transit-rent schedule and my household's disbursement history. 7. R&R entitlement document applicable to my household. 8. Action-taken on grievance reference __________ raised by me. 9. If eligibility was denied, the written ground and approving officer's name. 10. First Appellate Authority contact. I enclose Indian Postal Order No. __________ for Rs. 10. I declare I am an Indian citizen. Yours faithfully, [Signature, Date, Place]
10 RTI questions
- Survey record.
- Cut-off notification.
- Eligibility roster.
- Tenement allotment log.
- Developer agreement.
- Transit-rent disbursement.
- R&R entitlement.
- Grievance action-taken.
- Eligibility denial ground.
- FAA contact.
What happens next
- Day 0–10 RTI routed.
- Day 10–25 SRA / housing board pulls survey + allotment records.
- Day 30 Reply mandatory.
- Day 30+ First Appeal + petition to the High Court / NCSC / NHRC where applicable.
Common mistakes
- Asking for named allotment list — third-party under §8(1)(j); use anonymised roster.
- Ignoring the cut-off-date notification — eligibility pivots on it.
- Filing to the municipality when the SRA is the custodian.
- Missing transit-rent records — they reveal developer compliance.
Case law anchors
- Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation (1985) 3 SCC 545 — right to livelihood as part of Article 21; eviction requires due process.
- Chameli Singh v. State of UP (1996) 2 SCC 549 — shelter as part of the right to life.
- Sudama Singh v. Government of Delhi (Delhi HC, 2010) — rehabilitation mandatory before eviction.
Pro tips
- File before demolition — evidence degrades after eviction.
- Photograph of the hut + utility bill with date strengthens pre-cut-off residence claim.
- Parallel NHRC / SCPCR complaint if vulnerable family.
- For SRA projects with defaulting developers, ask for show-cause and re-tender records.
FAQs
Q1. Can the SRA refuse survey records citing privacy?
The roster can be anonymised, but methodology and coverage are public.
Q2. What's the norm for transit rent?
State-specific (Rs. 20,000/month in Mumbai SRA, up to Rs. 15,000 in Delhi DUSIB) — RTI extracts the schedule.
Q3. Can I challenge an eligibility-denial via RTI?
RTI surfaces the record; the challenge is via the Slum Tribunal / High Court — but on the RTI-extracted paper.
Q4. Is there a time limit for tenement handover?
State policies vary; many stipulate 36-48 months from start-of-work.
Conclusion
Slum rehabilitation is the most sensitive urban public work — livelihoods are on the line. RTI makes the roster, entitlement, and developer-compliance record visible, and anchors every downstream legal remedy.
Related reading
Sources
- Maharashtra Slum Areas Act, 1971 (and SRA Act)
- DUSIB Act, 2010; other state housing-board Acts
- Olga Tellis v. BMC, (1985) 3 SCC 545
- Sudama Singh v. Govt. of Delhi, W.P.(C) 8904/2009 (Delhi HC)
Last reviewed: 21 April 2026.


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