The Bombay High Court has asked the high-power committee formed to deal with complaints of irregularities in the Slum Rehabilitation Authority projects to expedite the hearing of cases.

“Please tell them to do some work,” a Division Bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice SC Dharmadhikari told Advocate-General Ravi Kadam on Thursday.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation, filed by activist Shailesh Gandhi, which was kept pending following the constitution of a high-powered committee by a full Bench of the court in November 2007 to look into the complaints.

Chief Justice Kumar said the court was getting petitions related to slum rehab schemes every day. “Make some schedule so that for at least 1-2 hours every day the committee can hear cases,” the court said.

It noted that the committee was adjourning a case for six months at the first hearing itself.

The Advocate-General defended the committee by submitting that it was working properly. Yet, he admitted, “They don’t have the grip of how to tackle it.”

He pointed out that the public interest litigation was based on 86 complaints moved by various people on irregularities in SRA schemes. Of these, 11 complaints have been disposed of, he said.

The petitioner’s lawyer. Jamshed Mistry, said that the court has reserved its order on the case.