Mahim building collapse: Advocate Rizwan Merchant to use RTI to get info against BMC

Advocate Rizwan Merchant, who lost three of his family members in the Mahim building collapse on June 10, plans to make use of Right to Information (RTI) Act to dig out information from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which could be used against it, to prove that the civic body did not act on his complaints.

Merchant had complained about the damages and alterations in Aftab Manzil by alleged owners of the building, in connivance with the car dealer, who had a shop on the ground floor.

Merchant, on June 15, lodged a first information report (FIR) against several persons including the BMC for acting in a negligent manner. He was also informed by the BMC that they have not received his complaints.

Merchant said, "The RTI is the most powerful tool in the hands of the public to get through the obstacles in getting information from government offices, and I will use it for getting all sors of information that will help build my case against the perpetrators.”

Merchant had sent complaints to the BMC in 2008 and again in 2012, highlighting the danger to the building because of alterations carried out by Sandeep Bafna, the owner of the car showroom, after the approval of the owners of the property.

“I had personally visited the Assistant Municipal Commissioner, one Mr Pai, with my complaint and then another officer, Mr Rane, had visited our building but gave a report indicating that there were no illegal alterations/constructions going on," he said.

"By filing RTI applications, I hope to get all the correspondence and reports filed on my complaints and if I don’t get any response then the provision of appeals against higher authorities will ensure that the BMC officials responsible for their callous approach are booked or fined," Merchant added.

Merchant has also claimed that he will take up this case as a mission to ensure that no such incident takes place in Mumbai.

“I don’t want any son to face the situation where he has to remove his mother's body from the rubble. I want justice for everyone and not only for me or the residents of Aftab Manzil," he added.