BMC notice to Bachchan, 6 others

RTI query reveals construction in Goregaon was not as per approved plans

New Delhi: Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan speaks during a press briefing on the US government's commitment to end TB, ahead of the World TB Day in New Delhi on Monday. PTI Photo by Kamal Singh (PTI3_7_2016_000222a)

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a notice to actor Amitabh Bachchan for unauthorised construction on his premises in Goregaon, a Right to Information (RTI) application has revealed.

The BMC has also rejected the amended plans submitted by his architect to the civic body’s Building Proposal Department, RTI Activist Anil Galgali said.

According to information provided by the P South ward office to Mr. Galgali, notices under the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act have been issued to seven people, including Mr. Bachchan, filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, Oberoi Realty, Pankaj Balaji, Sanjay Vyas, Haresh Khandelwal and Haresh Jagtani on December 7, 2016, for variations from the approved plans.

The RTI reply said that before the notices were issued, ward officials inspected the site and found that wings 2, 3, 5 and 6 were unoccupied and the internal walls as per the approved OC plans were not in place.

“Lifts were also not installed, and internal work like fixing of tiles on the ground floor and staircase was not done. Plastering of walls was not done, while security grilles on the staircase were missing. Balcony walls were also not constructed, and elevation projection spaces were included in flats. The basement work was also not as per the approved sanctioned plans,” the reply said.

After receiving the notices, Shashank Kokil, the architect appointed by Mr. Bachchan, submitted a proposal to the BMC on January 5. The proposal was was rejected by the BMC’s Building Proposal Department on March 17, and this was conveyed to the architect on April 11. He was also asked to do away with the illegal construction.

The P South ward office issued a final notice on May 6, saying that the structure be restored as per the original sanctioned plans. but this was not done, the BMC has said.

Mr. Galgali claimed that on September 12, the P South ward office wrote to the Building Proposal Department seeking clarity on the regularisation proposal, as it had become difficult for the ward office to take further action in the matter as per the MRTP Act.