Ahmedabad municipal commissioner IP Gautam says builders who have built illegal structures have not only duped buyers, but also cheated government and the AMC
The house collapse in Saudagar Ni Pol on Friday which caused the death of five people has exposed the massive illegal construction racket in the walled city area. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has woken up to the menace and started demolishing illegal buildings in the city. The civic body is also considering the option of filing cases of fraud against people involved in illegal constructions.
In the last one year, the AMC has served notices to 142 illegal buildings in the central zone of the city itself. But there are many more illegal structures like the one that collapsed in Saudagar Ni Pol, which have escaped the notice of the estate and town development department officials. The AMC has already demolished 12 buildings and sealed three in the two days since
Friday's tragedy.
The civic body is also planning to take tough steps against the builders of illegal properties in the city. "We are thinking of lodging complaints of fraud against these builders," said IP Gautam, municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad. Gautam further said that the civic body already had information about some such builders and is banking on people for information about other people involved in illegal constructions.
The municipal commissioner also said that the builders of illegal properties had committed fraud not only on the buyers but also on the government and the AMC.
The civic body will also spread awareness about the legality of properties built in the city. Gautam further said that the AMC will place advertisements in the papers asking people to check whether a house or other property had the necessary
legal papers, before buying it.
Meanwhile, on Sunday the AMC demolished eight illegally constructed buildings and sealed three others in different wards of the city's central zone. It had demolished four buildings on Saturday. Moreover, a list of 10 illegal buildings has been prepared and more demolitions will be carried out on Monday.
The illegal buildings demolished on Sunday include one each in Suigara Ni Pol, Mirghawad, Kadia Kui (all in Kalupur); Mol Ni Pol in Dariapur; Mahesania Vass, Khajuri Ni Pol and Kiran Patel's building (all in Shahpur); and Kharawala Nu Dahelu in Jamalpur. Moreover, three buildings sealed on Sunday include Hingolak Joshi Ni Pol in Khadia, Jacorbai Market in Railwaypura and Hajira Ni Pol in Raipur.
The civic body could not use machines during the demolitions because of the narrow lanes in the old city. AMC officials said taking machines into the narrow lanes could have caused damage to neighbouring buildings. The civic body had deployed 200 employees, along with workers hired on contract, 12 cutters and breakers for the demolition operation.
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