Another mill controversy has landed on the lap of BMC. Former deputy mayor and BJP councillor Arun Deo has alleged that civic officials were shielding a mall built illegally on mill land.
MUMBAI: Another mill controversy has landed on the lap of BMC. Former deputy mayor and BJP councillor Arun Deo has alleged that civic officials were shielding a mall built illegally on mill land.
Deo raised a point of order in the BMC Standing Committee Meeting on Wednesday, alleging that Magnet mall, built on a portion of the New Era Fabric Mill in Mahim, did not have the required permission, and yet the BMC was not taking action against the owners.
His contention was based on information collected from civic officials under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Deo, in a letter dated September 22, 2006, asked whether the mall had the approval of the BMC’s building proposal department and the municipal ward office, to which assistant engineer of the G/North (Dadar) buildings and factories department replied in the negative. “Magnet mall is not approved either by the building proposal department or by the ward office,” the assistant engineer had stated in his reply, dated October 20, 2006, a copy of which is with DNA.
The matter first came to the light when Senapati Bapat Marg resident Dilip Vishnukar complained to the BMC about the irregularity. In a letter, dated November 17, 2005, Vijay Balamwar, then assistant municipal commissioner, said the mall ran without permissions. Deo said, “Despite being aware that the mall is illegally built, they have taken no action for the past one year.”
But, Balamwar defended the administration. “The owner has violated the change of use norm. We initiated criminal proceedings against him under Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act last year. We demolished a few structures and served notices for illegal extensions. The owners procured a stay from the court. The matter is sub judice.”
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