MSHRC seeks explanation from BMC over unauthorised structures on Sion-Panvel e-way

The commission has taken suo motu cognisance of news reports highlighting that unauthorised structures had come up again after the road was ready.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) has asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner to explain how unauthorised constructions came up on the newly constructed Chembur Sion Panvel road after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) handed over the road to the civic body on completion of the work.

Din Quarry adjacent to the Eastern Freeway at Chembur entry point in Mumbai (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

The commission has taken suo motu cognisance of news reports highlighting that unauthorised structures were removed at the time of constructing the road but it had come up again after the road was ready.

After the commission asked MMRDA to explain the unauthorised constructions, it informed MSHRC that there were no unauthorised structures when they handed over the road to BMC.

The bench of Justice (retired) K K Tated, chairperson, and member M A Sayeed had initiated a suo motu petition based on a March 2022 news report, which stated that around 200 illegal commercial units were operating towards the CSMT end of the Chembur Sion Panel road till the Freeway on Dinquarry road, causing a huge problem for vehicular traffic. The report added that people had simply put up tin sheds on the edge of the newly constructed road soon after it was opened for vehicles.

The affidavit stated that in 2015 when the development authority started the project it had demolished all the illegal hutments and no unauthorised structure had come up till the construction work was completed. The affidavit further stated that the 200 illegal structures mentioned in the news report had come up after the road was handed over to the BMC and hence the authority could not be held responsible for the same.

On its part, the BMC, through advocate Rajshri Valvi, filed an additional report through the assistant commissioner M/E ward, stating that it had detected 149 unauthorised structures and eviction and demolition procedures had been initiated against some of the structures.

The commission also expressed its displeasure at the failure of the civic authorities to provide details of the existing structures and measures to curb the proliferation of unauthorised structures by appointing Beat Marshalls.

In light of this, the commission asked the BMC Commissioner to file an affidavit explaining how such structures came up and also directed the BMC counsel to personally meet the commissioner and brief him about the queries raised by the commission so that a proper affidavit was filed. The commission directed the affidavit to be filed within two weeks and posted the hearing to August 18.