MUMBAI, June 25 -- In order to facilitate the construction of the new integrated Bombay high court (HC) on a 30-acre plot in the government colony in Bandra East, the state government has begun the process of deleting existing reservations, mentioned in the Development Plan (DP) 2034. The space was reserved for a cultural centre, government staff quarters, a playground, garden, electric transmission centre, a police station, facilities for policemen, water pumping station, public utility building, BEST bus shelters, a public hall, government offices and roads. Alongside, residents of Gautam Nagar and Kamla Nagar slums - spread over 4.09 acres -- in the colony will be moved to Malad East and Kandivali, and the vacated land parcel (part of the 30-acre plot) will be used for the new construction, in six phases. The state cabinet cleared the proposal to shift the slum dwellers on Tuesday and stated that the process will be completed in a few months. The entire government colony is spread over 90 acres. A top bureaucrat, who did not wish to be named, told HT, the de-reservation was necessary "to avoid possible litigations by slum dwellers and encroachers in the future". Presently, there are 254 tenements in the twin neighbourhoods, of which 138 are used for commercial enterprises and 116 are residences. The officer said that the move was necessary since the "Public Works Department (PWD), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the police failed to check the growth of the slums". For the de-reservation, a steering committee was appointed a year ago under the principal secretary of urban development department (UDD), along with officers from PWD, BMC, and the state chief architect, to put down the steps to de-reserve the land. The process of de-reservation has started, and a notification to this effect was issued on June 20. The first PIL, to call attention to the space crunch in the existing premises of the court, was filed in HC in 2014, which was followed by similar PILs filed by several others. The government has already handed over 9.64 acres for the new construction. The colony has 370 two- and three-storeyed buildings for government employees. They are being pulled down and employees shifted to newly constructed 16 storeyed towers within the colony. At the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, a minister brought up the issue of ownership of houses for employees post-retirement, referencing retired policemen getting ownership of homes in BDD chawl in the precinct. While both Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT) have been backing the employees in their cause, the government has looked the other way. Seventy five courtrooms in addition to residences for judges, staff quarters, an arbitration and mediation centre, an auditorium, a library and amenities for staff, lawyers and litigants have been planned in the integrated complex. Architect Hafeez Contractor was recently appointed to design the new integrated building and the network of roads connecting it to the larger suburb....