MUMBAI: The BMC has cracked down on the who's who of state politics, from deputy chief minister and irrigation minister Ajit Pawar to deputy leader of BJP in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde, for making illegal alterations and user conversion in their Worli housing society.

The BMC, in a first, has issued notices under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act (MRTP) to 10 politicians who own properties in Shubhada and Sukhada co-op housing societies in Worli for converting convenience stores into offices and even gymnasiums.

The 10 are: Pawar, Munde, Maharashtra's relief and rehabilitation, and forest minister Patangrao Kadam, food and civil supplies minister Anil Deshmukh, his son Salil Deshmukh, former Union home minister and now governor of Punjab Shivraj Patil, state Congress chief Manikrao Thakare, NCP vice-president Anna Dange, former minister of state Pratap Singh Mohite Patil, former state Congress chief Ranjit Deshmukh (who is also the chairman of Shubhada society). Copies of the notices have been marked to the secretaries of the societies.

TOI had reported on April 4 that the BMC first issued notices on the matter to the secretaries on January 28 after it received a complaint from RTI activist Amit Maru. The latest set of notices was issued on April 12.

Except Patangrao Kadam, all got the notices for alterations on the ground floor of Shubhada. Kadam got one notice for amalgamating three shops in Sukhada into a gymnasium. Pawar received two notices. One is for his firm, Non-Con Energies, converting shops 10 and 11 in Shubhada into a gymnasium and the other is for converting shop 6 into an office. Munde got one notice for his firm NV Distilleries for combining a shop and a basement room into an office.

Shubhada chairman Deshmukh, despite himself receiving a notice for an alteration, told TOI, "We had informed all members of the society that there were no BMC permissions for offices or gymnasiums, but only for convenience stores. Yet, Munde constructed an office right down to the basement. We told them to take permission and submit plans, yet they went ahead."

When asked pointedly about his own notice, he evaded a direct answer and said he had told "the BMC to remove any unauthorised alterations".

Munde's spokesperson Ameet Satam (a BJP corporator) said, "We will discuss with our lawyers and architects and try and get this regularized as per the rule book."

But why was the rule book not followed to begin with? Satam said, "I need to check if this was brought to our notice right at the start. We can apply for change-of-user now." Dange said, "We have not done any unauthorised constructions without the BMC's permission. The society made the alterations and gave it to us."

Pawar and the others could not be contacted.

An official from the BMC's building proposal department said, the notices were given for work beyond the approved plan. "We will take action as per the MRTP Act if the politicians do not make the necessary alterations. They need to spend their money to do this."

IPS officer-turned-lawyer YP Singh said, "This is the first time such big names have been exposed by the BMC. It will be tough this time for the BMC to sit on the notices due to better public awareness. It is shameful that such upholders of law have blatantly indulged in criminal offences. What moral authority they have to take action against illegal constructions which have been killing people when they themselves are thick into it? This should be an exemplary case which will not get diluted under any circumstances."

The BMC has taken the first step in its declared crackdown on illegal additions and alterations. But it must follow up these notices with tough action on the ground, which will scare other violators. This is not only about implementation of rules. It also has to do with the safety of those who stay in buildings that have seen major changes, which can lead to serious structural damage.