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Restaurant was previously served PMC notice for unauthorised structure
Most part of Vegeta restaurant on the seventh floor of Marvel Vista, a commercial building in Lullanagar, was gutted in Tuesday morning fire. No casualty was reported
The terrace restaurant on the seventh floor of a building at Lullanagar that caught fire on Tuesday was served notice by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in August for operating on unauthorised premises.
Most part of Vegeta restaurant on the seventh floor of Marvel Vista, a commercial building in Lullanagar, was gutted in Tuesday morning fire. No casualty was reported.
PMC building permission officials confirmed that the restaurant was not only served notice, but a temporary structure built on the terrace was razed as part of punitive action.
According to Chandrasen Nagtilak, deputy engineer, building permission, PMC, who is overseeing the case, Vegeta was earlier found to have flouted rules by building unauthorised structures on the rooftop.
“We discovered it during our survey held months ago and served notice to remove the structures,” said Nagtilak.
The notice was served under Sections 52 and 53 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act that empowers local body to fine unauthorised structures not in conformity with sanctioned plan.
The owner of the restaurant, however, claimed that he did not receive any PMC notice.
Rahul Jain, owner, Vegeta, said, “It was temporary structures put up during the monsoon and there is nothing illegal about it. I have spent lakhs of rupees on the interiors only because this place came along with sanctioned rooftop.”
Jain said that he had closed the restaurant for the night on Monday and got a phone call from a friend around 7 am on Tuesday that it has caught fire.
“It was found out by the fire brigade department that the blaze was due to a short circuit that broke out at the junction box in the restaurant and not on the rooftop. I have the rooftop space sanctioned along with the restaurant so how is it illegal?” said Jain.
Local residents claimed that they had complained about the unauthorised structure to PMC, but no concrete action was taken.
Vrishabh Shingvi, local office-bearer of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, alleged via tweet saying, “A few months ago, I had complained to PMC about unauthorised structure at this restaurant, however, PMC fined them and shielded the unauthorised structure.”
