Politicos yet to demolish illegal alterations in their Worli shops

It has been two weeks since shop owners of Worli’s Shubhada Apartments received a notice from the housing society asking them to demolish unauthorised alterations made to their shops, yet shop owners who are also the state’s top politicians have shown no signs of complying.

It has been two weeks since shop owners of Worli’s Shubhada Apartments received a notice from the housing society asking them to demolish unauthorised alterations made to their shops, yet shop owners who are also the state’s top politicians have shown no signs of complying.

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“Two weeks ago, we sent them notices to demolish the alterations. They have not yet started demolishing, but would do as per their convenience,” said Ranjit Deshmukh, chairman of Shubhada Apartments.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, ministers in the state cabinet Patangrao Kadam, Anil Deshmukh, senior Congress leader Shivraj Patil, MPCC president Manikrao Thakre and other politicians had received demolition notices from BMC, on April 12, for making unauthorised alterations in their shops at Shubhada and Sukhada apartments. The notice also pointed out that some of the shops, that were legally meant to be convenient stores, had been converted into gymnasiums and offices. The civic body had given them one month’s time to demolish the alterations.

Another tenant who managed a cake shop, owned by politician Ashok Patil, has vacated the place. “The owner had told us to vacate within 48 hours and I had no other option but to shift my business to another location,” said Ritika Rane, owner of the cake shop.

The time period given by the BMC to demolish the alterations exhausts in a week but all other shops in Shubhada and Sukhada apartments have made no changes.