The government on Tuesday announced the suspension of the Assistant Municipal Commissioner and other designated officers of C Ward (Mohammed Ali Road, Pydhonie and Kalabadevi) of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), holding them responsible for illegal constructions in the ward.
Discussing the issue during question hour, legislators alleged a nexus between civic officials and criminal elements, including gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
Responding to a question raised by Sharad Sonavane of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the Assembly, Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil said officials responsible for illegal constructions — the Assistant Municipal Commissioner, designated officers and beat officers — will be suspended with immediate effect.
Mr. Sonavane had raised the issue of an illegal nine-storey building on Ismail Karte Road in Pydhonie. He said that despite directives from the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), the ward officer failed to take action in the case.
In a written reply, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the civil court, on March 3, had directed the authorities to take action against the construction if it was found to be illegal.
‘Criminal nexus’
BJP MLAs Raj Purohit and Ashish Shelar alleged that the ward has around 200 illegal buildings. Mr. Shelar levelled the allegations of Dawood’s involvement in the unauthorised construction. “The BMC officials have formed a nexus with criminal elements. It is such that Mr. Purohit, the local MLA, was threatened for raising the issue in the Assembly,” he said.
BJP MLA Parag Alvani questioned the inaction of civic officials despite court directives under the MRTP Act. BJP legislator Yogesh Sagar said no accountability had been been fixed for illegal constructions.
Nationalist Congress Party MLA Jayant Patil said he handed over a list of illegal constructions with evidence to the Chief Minister few days ago. “Even though the Municipal Commissioner was given directions to take action, nothing has happened. The Commissioner should also be held responsible,” he said.
