The Bombay high court directed the civic body to submit a list of erring builders who have undertaken constructions in the city by violating the law.
A division bench of Justice PB Majmudar and Justice Amjad Sayed was hearing a petition filed by Balaji International School in Malad after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished an electric sub-station in their compound, which led to power failure.
“Give us particulars of the number of builders prosecuted by you (BMC) and publish the names of builders you have blacklisted in newspapers,” Majmudar told BMC counsel Anil Sakhare. The judges have granted BMC four weeks to submit the list and directed it to file an affidavit giving the number of builders prosecuted.
The judges directed the Delhi-based Council of Architecture, which was issued a notice by the court at the last hearing, that it will take action against guilty architects after scrutinising complaints. The judges also directed the council to instruct its members to be careful while allowing their respective clients to carry out constructions across the country. “If constructions are in violation of local norms, the architects should be stripped off their licence,” said Majmudar.
The judges also directed the BMC to find out if it has taken action against any architect for violation of building construction laws. The judges observed that BMC should take strict action against the builder or party which goes ahead with construction after receiving stop work notice. “You should not regularise such structures,” added Majmudar. The matter has been adjourned to March 31.
At the last hearing, the court had rapped the school’s architect Umesh Bhat. Bhat, on Monday, told the court that he had written letters to BMC, and even the school, asking them not to go ahead with further construction.