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.