Flats in Mumbai with illegal changes to be spotted
BMC is coming up with a new mechanism to find out and demolish the illegal constructions or the changes that have been done in a building or apartment in Mumbai by making a special team of officials who will be responsible for eradicating such structures.
This motion will be public from May onwards where at least 65 assistant engineers across all 24 administrative wards in the city will keep an eye on under-construction buildings. They will also look for existing properties in Mumbai which have been amended illegally and will ensure demolitions within a stipulated time.
If the current officials fail to demolish for the first time after the detection of illegal buildings, the civic authority can slap a fine of Rs 10000 or send them to prison for three months.
Due to the amendments made by the state government in the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act and the BMC Act last year, this initiative could be possible. Now, a notice will be sent to the removal of encroachment (RE), building proposal and building and factories departments of the BMC in the next coming days and the assistant engineers will start work full swing from May onwards.
The role of these assistant engineers will be to detect unauthorised buildings, issue notices as per provisions of law, hear the parties, pass an order if any structure is unauthorized and subsequently demolish it.
Another officer will work hand in hand if he notices that a transgression has come to the notice of the designated officer and if no action has been initiated.
Citizens and activists can also detect themselves, if any illegal buildings exist. The engineers of the building proposal department will do daily rounds of their wards and if found any discrepancy will report to the assistant engineers. The assistant engineers will have full power to decide whether a structure is authorized or not and then pass an order. Further, he will seek assistance and machinery for demolition.
BMC is keeping an eye not only on builders, but also on flat owners who have made unauthorized alterations to their apartments like enclosing flower beds, ducts or dry areas, knocked down internal walls or surrounded their flats with grills.
As per an official, each ward will have 2-3 assistant engineers, who will be in charge of three councillor wards each.The main motive is to eradicate all the unauthorised buildings which have not ply with the permissions given by the building proposal department.
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