The Indian Express 17.09.2013
BMC to raze illegal structures in Worli buildings housing politicians
The politicians allegedly made illegal alterations in their flats/offices in Sukhada and Shubhada buildings. Express
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to demolish
illegal structures in two Worli buildings housing top politicians and
ministers.
The politicians, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, BJP
leader Gopinath Munde, state Congress president Manikrao Thakre, Punjab
governor Shivraj Patil Chakurkar and state forest minister Patangrao
Kadam, are accused of making illegal alterations and conversions in
their flats/offices in the 14-storey Sukhada and 32-floor Shubhada
buildings.
The civic administration had in May given the politicians three
months to correct the irregularities. The notices were issued under
Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, after IPS
officer-lawyer Y P Singh and activist Amit Maru raised the issue,
alleging that society members had converted convenience stores into
offices and gymnasiums. Most notices were for alterations on the ground
floor of Shubhada.
Kadam received a notice for 'joining three shops in Sukhada for a
gymnasium', while Ajit Pawar received two — one for converting two
shops in Shubhada into a gym and the other for converting a shop into an
office.
Despite the extension given to them, most members allegedly failed to comply with norms.
The civic administration then conducted a site visit on August
30, following which it served final notice to the residents. "You were
called upon to remove the unauthorised additions and alterations and
discontinue unauthorised user and unauthorised construction carried out
beyond part occupation certificate. During the site visit on August 30,
2013, along with the representative of society and architect, it is
observed that no rectification/restoration was carried out on site."
The civic building proposals department has directed the
designated officer of the ward to take action against the illegal
structures.
Civic officials said restoration work in shop number 6 (on the
notice sent to Ajit Pawar and marked to Non-Con Energies) is complete,
while work to remove illegalities in shop numbers 10 and 11 is being
undertaken by the owners. Restoration work at Munde's shop has also
begun, said officials.
The buildings, which mostly house politicians, had initially drawn
flak because the state government tweaked rules to allow additional
floors. The twin societies were allotted police land for construction of
private residential quarters for politicians and ministers. Sukhada and
Shubhada received additional FSI for an adjoining open plot to be
developed into a garden, allowing expansion of built-up area by 30 per
cent.
Despite BMC disapproval, the state government de-reserved the
open space. It later came to light that the buildings in CRZ II zone did
not have mandatory environmental clearances either.
