The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has turned down the request to grant an extension of another 90 days to remove unauthorised constructions in Sukhda-Shubhada Co-operative Housing Society at Worli. Instead, the civic body has decided to take action against these illegal structures.
Many illegal constructions like shops converted into commercial offices, luxury showrooms and commercial gyms were found in Sukhda-Shubhada Society, which has residential flats and commercial premises belonging to several top political leaders like deputy chief minister and irrigation minister Ajit Pawar, former Union home minister and governor of Punjab Shivraj Patil, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Manikrao Thakre, forest minister Patangrao Kadam and many others.
The BMC had issued a statutory notice asking them to face prosecution if they did not remove these unauthorised constructions. The civic building proposal department had issued this notice under Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act 1966, which stated that, “unauthorised additions and alterations carried out beyond plans sanctioned should be removed. Failing to comply with the requisition within one month from the notice, you are liable for prosecution.”
On this, the society had asked for 90 days extension to effect the desired alterations. However, during a recent visit to the Society, civic officials said that they found that politicians had not complied with the directives and no rectification had been carried out in the Society. To stop this unauthorised usage, the BMC has instructed the concerned officers to take action against these illegal constructions.
“Assistant engineers of the building proposal and factory department of G-North ward will decide the fate of these unauthorised structures,” said a civic official.
The Sukhda-Shubhada society has been built on the land earlier owned by the Mumbai police. It was taken away from the home department and given to the political leaders for constructing posh flats and commercial premises in 2004.