Court tells cops to probe the alleged violation of CRZ rules by MMRDA officials for a proposed rehabilitation scheme at Mankhurd.
A local court on Tuesday directed the Shivaji Nagar police station to investigate the alleged violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials for a proposed rehabilitation scheme at Mankhurd.
The 45th metropolitan magistrate MP Bage at Kurla passed the order on September 15 on a complaint filed against MMRDA Commissioner T Chandrashekhar, director of Mithi River Development Project Vikas Tondwalkar, head of MMRDA’s rehabilitation cell RK Sonawane and suburban collector SS Zende. The complainant, Ahmad Hasan Mohammed Raza, is a trader of galvanised sheets, with his shop at Suleman Compound in Santacruz (east).
Raza said that the plots allotted by MMRDA to rehabilitate people affected by the Mithi project, including shop owners, were surrounded by mangroves. “Since construction is banned in this zone, we would have been blamed for violating environment rules,” he added
In April, the Bombay High Court had directed the MMRDA to clear structures around the Mithi to prevent a repeat of last year’s deluge. Of the hundreds of project-affected persons (PAPs) rehabilitated in 225 sq-ft flats at various locations, about 300 were shop owners, who were given vacant plots on survey number 80 at Mandala in Mankhurd.
“The allotment letter, however, had no mention of the precise location or the number or the area of the plots,’’ said Raza. “Enquires at the MMRDA office revealed that the plots were surrounded by mangroves,” he added.
Tondwalkar refused to comment, while Sonawane denied any violation. “Development control rules permit us to temporarily rehabilitate eligible PAPs on CRZ land,” said Sonawane. When pointed out that the allotment letter (in DNA’s possession) did not mention that this was a “temporary” arrangement, Sonawane said, “While we are responsible for allotment, plots are disbursed on the terms and conditions of the land owner, in this case the suburban collector. These people (the complainants) are aware of this rule.”
The MMRDA official said the shop owners were offered permanent accommodation at Tata Nagar in Mankhurd. “But they refused as they wanted a larger area like the one they had encroached earlier. Since the government has no land to rehabilitate commercial PAPs, we offered to rehabilitate them at this site till we found alternative land,” said Sonawane.
“The government should not have succumbed to pressure from these PAPs and offered them vacant plots. They should have been given 225 sq-ft area. The government’s promise has made rehabilitation difficult,” he said.
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