Mumbai civic body ignorant of illegal buildings even after Kamala Mills blaze: Opposition

After the Kamala Mills fire, BMC had gone on an overdrive to demolish illegal Extensions of buildings.

The Opposition party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) general body meeting on Tuesday alleged the administration has been ignorant of illegal constructions and extensions in the city even after a fire at Kamala Mills killed 14 in December last year.

Raising a point of order in the House of elected representatives, Opposition leader Ravi Raja said, South Mumbai, especially Colaba, is rampant with unauthorised constructions. The BMC was alleged of ignoring structural illegalities.

Activist in Colaba, Ajay Singh Kandliwal, said, “A 100-year-old building was demolished and reconstructed illegally by the owner. I have sent many complaint letters since January.”

An RTI filed by the activist revealed that BMC had not permitted the constructions.

Assistant municipal commissioner Kiran Dighavkar said, “The building owner has constructed more than what was permitted by building proposal department. We had sent notices to the owner and demolished the structures earlier this year. There are no other illegal constructions in A-ward.”