The Times of India 12.04.2013
Mumbraites to rally against demolitions
THANE: Trouble is
brewing in the minority-dominated Mumbra-Shilphata-Daighar townships as
politicians and community members gave a call for a bandh on Friday,
bringing to a halt demolition of illegal structures on private and
forest land.
Fearing politically-provoked tension and a law and order situation, the Thane police deferred deployment of personnel for demolitions undertaken by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and forest department.
The police, however, tightened their grip on suspects involved in the construction of the illegal seven-storey building at Lucky Compound. Civic official Shyam Thorbole and Hadisullah Ragbulla Choudhary were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly being a part of the criminal syndicate which encouraged and profited from illegal constructions.
Thorbole was office superintendent of Mumbra ward till two months back, before being arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for demanding and accepting a Rs1 lakh bribe for ignoring an illegal multi-storey building. With this the arrests in the Shilphata collapse has gone up to 15, including five civic officials and a police havaldar.
The tragedy at Shilphata, which led to 74 deaths, jolted the civic administration, and it issued notices to 1,107 legal but dilapidated multi-storey buildings across all nine wards in Thane. Civic officials said 61 of the buildings are in a dire condition but continued to be occupied by the residents.
The corporation is seeking the eviction of tenants from these 61 buildings and has directed residents of other dilapidated buildings to conduct a structural audit and submit a certificate from structural engineers.
"Nearly 21,825 families are residing in these dilapidated buildings and the decision to evict them or pull down these buildings will affect nearly 88,286 persons,'' a civic official said.
The TMC has moved against illegal buildings in Mumbra and cut off water and sewage connections, triggering public outrage.
Jitendra Awhad, Nationalist Congress Party legislator from Mumbra-Kalwa assembly constituency, said, "The people have been living here for years and they cannot be deprived of basic needs. There are illegal buildings in Thane city but similar action has not been initiated against them.''
Awhad, accused of stalling the demolition of illegal structures in Daighar, is said to have abused and threatened forest officials, and told them not to raze the buildings on forest land. The MLA, however, claimed that he had prevented the demolition of hutments at Daighar as they were built 60 years back and that he had not opposed pulling down new, illegal constructions.
Awhad supported the bandh, stating that TMC's action would render hundreds of people homeless.
Fearing politically-provoked tension and a law and order situation, the Thane police deferred deployment of personnel for demolitions undertaken by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and forest department.
The police, however, tightened their grip on suspects involved in the construction of the illegal seven-storey building at Lucky Compound. Civic official Shyam Thorbole and Hadisullah Ragbulla Choudhary were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly being a part of the criminal syndicate which encouraged and profited from illegal constructions.
Thorbole was office superintendent of Mumbra ward till two months back, before being arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for demanding and accepting a Rs1 lakh bribe for ignoring an illegal multi-storey building. With this the arrests in the Shilphata collapse has gone up to 15, including five civic officials and a police havaldar.
The tragedy at Shilphata, which led to 74 deaths, jolted the civic administration, and it issued notices to 1,107 legal but dilapidated multi-storey buildings across all nine wards in Thane. Civic officials said 61 of the buildings are in a dire condition but continued to be occupied by the residents.
The corporation is seeking the eviction of tenants from these 61 buildings and has directed residents of other dilapidated buildings to conduct a structural audit and submit a certificate from structural engineers.
"Nearly 21,825 families are residing in these dilapidated buildings and the decision to evict them or pull down these buildings will affect nearly 88,286 persons,'' a civic official said.
The TMC has moved against illegal buildings in Mumbra and cut off water and sewage connections, triggering public outrage.
Jitendra Awhad, Nationalist Congress Party legislator from Mumbra-Kalwa assembly constituency, said, "The people have been living here for years and they cannot be deprived of basic needs. There are illegal buildings in Thane city but similar action has not been initiated against them.''
Awhad, accused of stalling the demolition of illegal structures in Daighar, is said to have abused and threatened forest officials, and told them not to raze the buildings on forest land. The MLA, however, claimed that he had prevented the demolition of hutments at Daighar as they were built 60 years back and that he had not opposed pulling down new, illegal constructions.
Awhad supported the bandh, stating that TMC's action would render hundreds of people homeless.
