Navi Mumbai News: Tribals Protest At CIDCO Bhavan After 30 Homes Demolished In Chinchpada-Vadghar Without Notice

Navi Mumbai: Tribals from Chinchpada-Vadghar village in Panvel Taluka have launched a protest against the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) after the planning authority demolished nearly 30 of their long-standing homes. The demolition, carried out using bulldozers, has left families—many of whom have lived there for over 50 years—homeless and devastated.

“The displaced families, including elderly residents and school-going children preparing for exams, were forced onto the streets without any alternative housing or prior notice. Protesters have now been staging a sit-in outside CIDCO Bhavan for the past four days, demanding justice and rehabilitation,” Sudhakar Patil, ex IRS and a social worker, said.

Social activists and legal advocates, including Advocate Prakash Kadam, Kiran Keni, and Santosh Pawar, visited the protest site and extended support to the tribal community.

“These families have lived here for decades. Many don’t have formal land titles, but that doesn’t strip them of their dignity or right to shelter. CIDCO should have handled this with a more humane approach,” said Pawar.

Advocate Rajendra Madhavi pointed to a 2018 government resolution that allows regularization of homes belonging to landless agricultural laborers and artisans. He noted that tribal homes in nearby Khalapur Taluka were legalized under the same policy. “Why couldn’t the same be applied here?” he questioned.

Activists also drew attention to the state’s broader housing policies, highlighting that while thousands of slum dwellers in Mumbai have been granted alternative accommodation, the government failed to protect a mere 25-30 homes in Chinchpada.

“Is it because they are not politically organized? Or because they didn’t meet the unofficial expectations of the system?” asked Kantilal Kadu, President of the Panvel Utkarsh Samiti.

Further fueling public anger was a recent statement by Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur, who had dramatically pledged to self-immolate if action was taken against the tribal homes. Ironically, the demolition occurred the very next day, raising questions about accountability and commitment.

“This action reflects the insensitivity and authoritarian mindset of CIDCO officials,” said Advocate Vijay Gadge, President of the Panvel Taluka Project-Affected Committee. “We demand legal action against those responsible and immediate steps to rehabilitate the affected families.”

The social activists termed this action of Cidco as ‘planned displacement under the guise of development.

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