BMC gives 15 days to MLA’s skill centre in Govandi to pull down illegal construction

: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent the third and final notice to Niyaz Ahmed Minorities Educational and Welfare Trust, run by MLA Abu Asim Ansari, to demolish the unauthorised construction in a public library it is operating at the Shahu Maharaj recreational ground in Govandi

: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent the third and final notice to Niyaz Ahmed Minorities Educational and Welfare Trust, run by MLA Abu Asim Ansari, to demolish the unauthorised construction in a public library it is operating at the Shahu Maharaj recreational ground in Govandi.

BMC gives 15 days to MLA’s skill centre in Govandi to pull down illegal construction

The notice states if the encroachment is not razed within 15 days, BMC will act against it.

Located on the library premises is the trust-run Houston Testing and Skill Upgradation Centre, a technical skill centre for electricians, welders, carpenters, etc. While permission to run the skill centre was given by BMC, locals residents complained it had overstepped its bounds.

“The private skill centre has encroached upon around 1,500 square feet of space and is using it for commercial gain. They’ve also made a cricket turf outside the centre in the recreational ground, which is a municipal ground, and are charging for its use,” Abbas Sayed, a resident and a lawyer, said. He added that a ‘dangerous’ mezzanine floor was also constructed where meetings would be held but is now locked.

A decision on the notice was taken at a meeting held on December 11 between the deputy municipal commissioner of zone 5, Harshad Kale, BMC officials, and aggrieved residents, who have been complaining about the skill centre since April.

Previous notices by BMC were issued on July 27 and November 6, but when they went unheeded, no action was taken. If the same happened this time, Kale promised, disciplinary action would be taken against officials of M East ward, a civic official said. Kale also instructed officials from the gardens and maintenance department to inform the police of reinforcements needed for the demolition, the official added.

According to the residents, the library-cum-study centre has been there since before Covid-19, and it charges ₹50 per month.

“Earlier, it could accommodate around 200 students,” agreed two members of the library, Ateeque Khan and Mateen Siddiqui. “But now it can only have a capacity for 50 to 60 people. The seating is very uncomfortable, but it’s still well used. The skill centre is not used a lot yet, but we can hear noise of the tools from it for a few hours in the day.”

Local residents also alleged that the skill centre offers a trade certificate for ₹5,000 to help people go to Saudi Arabia for work. A board at the centre reads ‘Saudi Skill Verification Program Centre’.

The skill centre is not affiliated to the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), despite it claiming to do so on its boards, said another resident and advocate, Saif Alam. HT has seen a copy of the RTI response by NSDC, which transferred the query to the Maharashtra State Skill Development Society that established it was not registered with them.

Kale said, “We’ve sent the notice to remove the encroachment. Regarding the residents’ claims about the centre’s affiliation, we have asked them to submit the required documents and then we will take action accordingly.”

“Govandi lacks open spaces, and this skill centre is encroaching upon the space of a very needed facility,” said another disgruntled resident Faiyaz Alam.

When contacted, a spokesperson for the MLA refuted the allegations of encroachment. “We’re paying BMC to use 5,000 square feet of space, and we’re only using 4,810 square feet. We will submit the documents to prove our claim. This centre trains Govandi residents for free; we do not issue certificates for getting jobs in Saudi Arabia.”