Scams and irregularities by the way of allotting illegal FSI, lifting of the reservation of the land to facilitate housing societies, re-moulding rules using administrative powers are not new to the city.
Scams and irregularities by the way of allotting illegal FSI, lifting of the reservation of the land to facilitate housing societies, re-moulding rules using administrative powers are not new to the city.
The 31-storey Adarsh Society at Colaba, the latest scam to come to light is believed to be just the tip of the iceberg.
As far back as September 1984, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had passed an order for demolition of eight upper floors of Pratibha Housing Society, a 28-storey building at Breach Candy — allegedly due to the fact that it was the result of a huge violation in the allotment of FSI and illegal occupation of a recreational ground.
There was a huge uproar in the print media due to the fact that the who's who of the city were tenants in the society. The building has been lying vacant since, however, the society has now moved a proposal for the revival of the project.
There are several other such buildings in South Mumbai that were abandoned after objections were raised by authorities, including Om Sadan on Narayan Dabholkar Rd, a building in Mahalaxmi built in 1986 illegally on the plot reserved for a recreational ground and Divya Prabha in Nariman Point, which was started in 1980 and later abandoned after allegations of excessive use of the FSI surfaced.
A housing society built on government land by Mhada authorities in Worli, had given membership only to politicians and bureaucrats. Another residential complex of highrises on Pochkhanwala road in Worli was in the limelight for the illegal conversion of the garages on the ground floor for commercial use.
After the Pakistan consulate turned down a plot offered to it next to Grand Hyatt hotel in Kalina, the government issued an order allotting the prime plot to a housing society comprising bureaucrats, police officials, politicians and their personal assistants.
Another controversy brewing over the last few weeks is regarding the Indus housing society at Wadala, with reports that there was a violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone while allotting the 70000 sq mtr plot to the society, which has key IAS officials in the state administration as members.
The Adarsh scam had had the side-effect of making nearly 10 of the officials pull themselves out of the Indus society.
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