The Bombay high court on Thursday reprimanded the state government after it informed the court that it is considering formulating a policy to regularise illegal constructions in Navi Mumbai.

The bench was irked with government’s proposal as the court had ordered action against builders but government was going against it.

The division bench of Justices A.S. Oka and C.V. Bhadang was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations over illegal constructions on land belonging to City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in Navi Mumbai.

Government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani informed the high court that a draft policy has been formed by which the illegal constructions would be regularised. Annoyed with this, the bench said, “What signal are you sending by doing this Under what statutory powers you are regularising buildings that have been illegally constructed on land belonging to Cidco and MIDC ”

“You (government) are trying to gain political sympathy but we are thinking about law. Today you are regularising structures in Navi Mumbai, tomorrow other areas such as Vasai-Virar, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Bhiwandi will also come forward. What will you do then ” the bench observed.

The bench also said that the government purchased the land from private persons and handed it over to Cidco and MIDC for certain purposes and now when there are illegal buildings on that land the government wants to regularise them.

The judges asked if the government has considered the consequences of its decision to regularise the illegal buildings.

The judges asked the government to find out why people are forced to buy homes in illegal structure and find out solution for them and posted the petitions for further hearing next week asking government to make its stand clear.