On November 15, 2018, the residents of Sahakarnagar in Vadodara protested the delay in the allotment of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) by giving paper houses and keys to the Vadodara district collector. The slums and hutments, in which the residents had been living, have existed on government land for more than a century. In May 2017, the residents gave undertakings to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) agreeing to vacate their houses in return for better housing at the same location. Two months later, in July, the VMC demolished 1,428 hutments and 75 shops in Sahakarnagar to realize the slum-free city (smart city) vision. The VMC agreed to construct in-situ slum rehabilitation in the area under the PMAY. Under the scheme, the VMC was to construct 2,637 houses for the urban poor. The people whose houses were demolished were promised rehabilitation at the same site that was planned to be developed in a public-private partnership for residential and commercial purposes. But the project was stalled as a pond, with a surface area of 4,000 sq.m., existed at the site. A directive of the Gujarat High Court mandates civic bodies to preserve water bodies. As a result, no development has taken place on the site. The affected people, meanwhile, have put up in temporary shelters and await rehabilitation as promised.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for rehabilitation
Government Bodies Involved in the Conflict:
Vadodara Municipal Corporation, Gujarat Government, Gujarat High Court
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Other Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Legislations Involved in the Conflict:
Land Acquisition Laws
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Legal Status:
In Court
Name(s) of Court(s)
High Court of Gujarat
Case Number
WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 104 of 2018
Nature of Protest
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Has the Conflict Ended?
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?