Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporstion on Thursday pulled down illegal portions of Premsons, the iconic store in Breach Candy area. It demolished a shed and the shop’s board saying they were unauthorised.
The Hindu had reported on May 17 how an unauthorised extension of Cafe Leopold in Colaba was torn down. The cafe had built a canopy without permissions. On Thursday, the BMC’s D ward office took action against Premsons, a departmental store on Bhulabhai Desai road.
During a routine inspection, civic staffers had found that the store had built five sheds on the terrace. On further inquiry, they found no record of any permissions taken. The sheds were spread over an area of 2,000 sq feet and were used for storage or as a place for staffers to sleep. The store management was served a notice on May 3, asking it to remove the unauthorised portions. When no action was taken from their end, the demolition was undertaken on Thursday.
“We also found that the store’s board on the roadside was a large one and erected in such a way that it could fall. That is why we removed that as well,” said Vishwas Mote, assistant municipal commissioner, D ward.
The action was taken by around 26 BMC staffers with the help of hammers and other instruments. Around three dumpers of debris was retrieved from the site.
According to BMC policy, the cost of this demolition will be recovered from the property owners. The cost will be added to their property tax. Besides, Mr. Mote has instructed staffers to find the original plans of the 50-year-old building and carry out an inspection.
“If we find anything not in keeping with the original building plans, we will take action,” he said.
The BMC is being cautious after the Kamala Mills fire incident in December last year where largescale unauthorised construction contributed to the disaster. A fire broke out in Mojo’s Bistro, a pub inside Kamla Mills compound, and the unauthorised changes within the premises made it difficult for people to leave when the fire broke out. This led to the death of 17 people.
Since the incident, the BMC has been on an overdrive, inspecting buildings for unauthorised constructions and extensions and undertaking demolition drives across the city.
