Retired civic official, known to crack down on illegal buildings in Dongri, to contest from Mumbadevi

A retired official of the Mumbai civic body, Uday Kumar Shiroorkar, known for his crackdown on illegal buildings in South Mumbai’s Dongri, will now contest the upcoming

A retired official of the Mumbai civic body, Uday Kumar Shiroorkar, known for his crackdown on illegal buildings in South Mumbai’s Dongri, will now contest the upcoming Assembly elections from the Mumbadevi constituency as an independent candidate. 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.

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Shiroorkar had a rocky tenure as he received threats for action against illegal establishments in the area. Following the threats, Shiroorkar was known to carry a licenced revolver with him, while on duty. His decision to contest pits him against a heavyweight leader and two-time Congress member of legislative Assembly (MLA), Amin Patel.

Shiroorkar said, “I know the area like the back of my hand and I have done a lot of work there. Because I went against people promoting illegal constructions, who were feared by even residents of the area, I am liked by the voters.”

During his tenure between May 2016 and June 2018, Shiroorkar razed more than a dozen illegally constructed buildings that he claimed belonged to members of the underworld, battling scare tactics and multiple attempts to injure him.

The Dongri and Pydhonie areas, which fall under the Mumbadevi constituency, are a hotspot of illegally constructed buildings and a safety hazard. In May this year, the Kesarbai building collapsed in Dongri, killing 13 people, prompting municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi to suspend then assistant commissioner of the ward, Vivek Rahi.