After dragging its feet for several days, the BMC has finally made up its mind to take action on the illegal constructions in the controversial Sukhada and Shubhada buildings, which house several top political leaders, in Worli. The civic body will demolish the illegal constructions on February 10.
According to the civic officials, action will be taken against 11 people, who have continued to defy BMC’s instructions to remove illegal constructions in their flats. They include some of the prominent leaders like Pratapsinh Mohite Patil, Ranjit Deshmukh, Shivajirao Deshmukh, Ashokrao Patil and Daulatrao Aher.
A senior official of the G-South ward office said, “We had issued notices under the Maharashtra Region and Town Planning (MRTP) Act to 25 people for the change of user and alterations in their flats. While the other people have complied with the notice by removing the illegal constructions, these 11 have not. There are 13 such constructions which will be demolished in BMC’s drive.”
The civic body has also written to the Mumbai police seeking police bandobast to carry out the demolition in these societies on February 10.
The BMC, in April 2013, had issued a statutory notice to Sukhada-Shubhada societies asking them to remove unauthorised constructions. Many illegal constructions like shops converted into commercial offices, luxury showrooms and commercial gyms were found in Sukhada-Shubhada Society, which has residential flats and commercial premises belonging to several top political leaders like Ajit Pawar, Shivraj Patil, Manikrao Thakre, Patangrao Kadam among others.
In February 2014, the civic administration attached the housing societies over non-payment of property tax bills from 2006.
Source: Feb 06, 2015 | Age Correspondent | Mumbai
