Lapses in the prison manual have led some hi-profile city builders to avail the land adjoining Arthur Road jail for the highrise residential complex.
Lapses in the prison manual have led some hi-profile city builders to avail the land adjoining Arthur Road jail for the highrise residential complex, even as jail authorities complained about the security threat to the inmates from outsiders.
The jail authorities are worried about two structures — one belonging to Lokhandwala builders and the other to Lodha builders — which have allegedly created security threats for the jail inmates. The state government has stopped construction of Lokhandwala’s 20-storey building after jail superintendent Swati Sathe complained against them to the BMC. But the work of Lodha’s 45-storey building Bellissimo, is going on. Both the structures fall within 100 metres of the jail boundaries.
Lodha had purchased the land of former Apollo Mill from National Textile Corporation (NTC) for the project. The high-rises are being constructed at that end of jail where bathrooms and toilets for the inmates are located.
In her complaint, Sathe expressed concern that anyone can easily watch the activities going on in the jail from the buildings. Although she specifically pointed at the Lokhandwala project, there was no mention of the Lodha project in her complaint.
Both the BMC and the Lodha Group have asserted that there is no threat to jail inmates due to the project.
Municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak said, “If one has to throw anything into the jail premises, he can do it from outside the compound wall. There is no need to construct a highrise there. Lodha Builders have sealed their side adjacent to the jail boundary. No one will be interested in knowing where the inmates are taking bath and who are they. If the jail authorities are so concerned about security, they should have modified the prison manual accordingly.”
A senior officer from Arthur Road jail admitted to the ambiguity in the prison manual.
“In the existing prison manual, there is a provision that no permission will be given for the non-agricultural work within 182 metres of the jail boundaries. But it does not mention anything specific about the height of the non-agriculture construction within that distance. The union government is preparing a new jail manual in which all these aspects have been taken into consideration. I hope the new manual will be ready by next year,” he said.
Mahesh Thakur, general manager (Corporate Relations), Lodha Group, said, “It is clear that there is neither a ban nor restrictions nor guidelines on construction within 182 metres of the jail boundaries in any Act of Maharashtra.” He claimed that there is restriction for construction on government land near the jail, but not on private one. Had the NTC owned the land, the construction would not have been possible there.
“The clause in the prison manual states that unless the state government for reasons to be recorded in writing directs otherwise, no government land within 182 metres on the main wall of a prison shall be leased for non-agriculture purposes. Most importantly, we have a dead wall at the side facing the jail. Our building faces towards the Mahalakshmi area and not the jail,” said Thakur.
t_kiran@dnaindia.net
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