The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent a notice to Union Minister Narayan Rane’s Juhu residence over alleged illegal construction and alterations in the bungalow.
On February 21, the BMC conducted an inspection at the Adhish Bungalow in Juhu.
The notice, signed by a designated officer of the K-West ward of the BMC, was issued under Section 351 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act for alleged unauthorised change of use, in contravention to the plan approved by the civic body.
“It has been reported to me, that you have commenced the erection of a building/commenced execution of approved use of premises as described in the schedule appended below in contravention to the provision of Section 337342 and 347 of the MMC Act,” the notice read.
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According to the notice given to Artline Properties Private Limited, several changes of use in the basement of the bungalow and on all but the seventh floor of the bungalow have taken place.
Right To Information (RTI) activist Santosh Daundkar has filed multiple complaints against the bungalow since 2017. He said that the Adhish bungalow has received two BMC notices till now. “The first notice was sent on February 25 this year. But it didn’t have details of the illegal construction. The new legal notice served on March 4 has details of illegal construction on each floor along with the sketches. I got the notice via RTI application, and the BMC should take strict action in this matter.”
The BMC has given the company seven days to reply and prove that the work mentioned above had been carried out per the approvals received by BMC.
The BMC also mentioned that if the owner of the bungalow fails to show sufficient cause as directed above, the said building or work will be removed/altered/pulled down/use of premises restored and owners may be prosecuted under section 475 A of the MMC Act, which is punishable with imprisonment and a fine.
While addressing a press conference last month after receiving BMC’s notice for inspection, Rane said, “I have got a notice for my Juhu bungalow where my family is residing, and we have not done any illegal construction. We shifted here in 2009, and I was also issued an occupation certificate by the BMC.”
Prithviraj Chauhan, the assistant municipal commissioner of BMC’s K-west ward, was unavailable for comment.
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