E-Paper
Ex-officer who cracked down on illegal Dongri buildings to contest Maharashtra polls
Shiroorkar received threats for action against illegal establishments in the area during his time as the assistant commissioner. Following the threats, he used to carry a licensed revolver on duty.
A retired officer of the Mumbai civic body, known for his crackdown on illegal buildings in south Mumbai’s Dongri area, will contest the Maharashtra polls as an independent candidate from Mumbadevi.
Uday Kumar Shiroorkar, 59, was the assistant commissioner of B ward, the administrative area in South Mumbai under which Dongri and the larger Mumbadevi area fall, for 35 months before retiring in June 2018.
Shiroorkar received threats for action against illegal establishments in the area during his time as the assistant commissioner. Following the threats, he used to carry a licensed revolver on duty.
His decision to return to the same area and contest the upcoming polls now pits him against two-time Congress MLA Amin Patel.
Shiroorkar said he knows the area and a lot of work needs to be done. “Because I went against people promoting illegal construction, who were feared by the residents of the area, I am liked by the voters,” he said.
During his tenure, Shiroorkar razed over a dozen illegally constructed buildings, which he claims belonged to members of the underworld, battling scare tactics and multiple attempts to attack him.
The Dongri and Pydhonie areas, which fall under the Mumbadevi constituency, are a web of illegally constructed buildings and considered a safety hazard.
In May this year, the Kesarbai building collapsed in Dongri killing 13 people, prompting the Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi to suspend then assistant commissioner of the B ward, Vivek Rahi.
