BMC file on Adarsh Housing Society was missing: Jairaj Phatak

An important file of the high-rise building committee of Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society was missing from the office of chief engineer of the BMC,  when important decisions about the building’s illegal floors were taken.

Former civic chief Jairaj Phatak on Friday told the two-member commission that the original file had not been traced till the time he was the commissioner, and the BMC did not write to the committee for its say on the missing file.

Phatak was the municipal commissioner from 2007 till November 2009.

His revelation has added to the number of missing files related to Adarsh.

In the past, some important files about the deletion of a road and Coastal Regulatory Zone clearance have gone missing from the urban development department and ministry of environment and forests. There were reports that some of the defence files related to Adarsh were also missing. However, this is the first incident of missing file from the BMC since the scam was exposed.

Phatak said the society had requested him not to refer the matter (of adding the illegal 28th floor) to the high-rise building committee as the height had already been scrutinised.

He added that in a meeting on October 14, 2009, the plan of 28th floor was not approved either by the BMC or MMRDA; but the floor had been built when the meeting took place. “The MMRDA had levied penalty on Adarsh for the construction of the 28th floor. The penalty was for its regularisation,” Phatak said.