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Look into issue of manpower shortage: Bombay High Court tells Sitaram Kunte

Unhappy with the sorry state of affairs, the HC has directed the BMC commissioner to form a committee within two weeks to look into the issue and submit a report within six weeks.

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The Bombay high court on Friday raised concern over the increasing number of illegal constructions in the city and the civic body's inaction in addressing complaints received by it.

A division bench of justices Abhay Oka and AP Bhangale has asked the commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to set up a committee to look into the issue.

The HC was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by social activist Sayyad Rizvi, seeking action against illegal constructions on government land in suburban Malad. He has alleged in his petition that despite repeated complaints to the civic body's ward officers, no action is being taken.

Anil Singh, counsel for the BMC, informed the HC that the corporation did not have enough manpower to look into individual issues and complaints.

Unhappy with the sorry state of affairs, the HC has directed the BMC commissioner to form a committee within two weeks to look into the issue and submit a report within six weeks.

Rizvi's petition claims that he had approached several officers in the local ward office and also senior corporation officials to lodge complaints about the illegal constructions. However, all turned a deaf ear to his complaint and refused to take any action.

He stated that he has details of several illegal structures and at some places construction is still being carried out. "The petitioner has a list of 33 places where unauthorised and illegal construction is being carried out by land grabbers, encroachers and trespassers but the officers are not taking any action," reads his petition.

A recent survey conducted showed that around 200 new constructions had come up in the Madh-Marve area and out of this 32 were declared illegal, states the petition.

The court also directed that a ward officer should accompany the petitioner and identify those structures in Malad, Madh and Marve areas which are illegal and initiate appropriate action if the structures are actually illegal.

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