Who was the social activist that filed the Public Interest Litigation against the Bombay Municipal Corporation?

Olga Tellis

The correct answer is Option 4 - Olga Tellis

Olga Tellis, a social activist, filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the Bombay Municipal Corporation in 1985. The PIL argued for the rights of slum-dwellers and pavement dwellers to live near their places of work and sought protection against eviction without the provision of alternative accommodation.

The Supreme Court gave an important decision regarding the rights of slum-dwellers in Bombay in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by a social activist, Olga Tellis against Bombay Municipal Corporation in 1985. The petition claimed the right to live on pavements or in slums because there was no alternative accommodation available close to their place of work. If they were forced to move they would lose their livelihood as well. The Supreme Court said, “Article 21 of the Constitution which guaranteed the right to life included the right to livelihood. Therefore if pavement dwellers were to be evicted they should first be provided alternative accommodation under the right to shelter.”