BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Tuesday wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding an audit into illegal buildings in Mumbai. This comes after the demolition of the Noida Supertech Twin Towers for violating building norms.

There are several illegal buildings in the city which either have no occupation certificate (OC) or are only following it partially. He asked the chief minister to conduct a special audit into such buildings.

He added that honest flat buyers should be protected and strong action must be taken against corrupt Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials and builders.

ADARSH SOCIETY CASE IN MUMBAI

The Adarsh Society in Mumbai is one structure that has remained in the spotlight for years. In 2010, the then chief minister Ashok Chavan resigned from his post following the controversy surrounding the structure. The 31-storey building was constructed for the welfare of war widows in the posh area of Colaba in South Mumbai.

As the scam broke, it was alleged that several politicians, bureaucrats and military officials had conspired and bent the rules to get flat bookings for themselves in the society at below market rates. The scam was unearthed in November 2010.
In 2011, a two-member judicial commissioner was made to look into the matter by the state government. In 2012, the Additional chief secretary of the UDD (Urban Development Department) told the Adarsh commission that the MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) issued an OC to the society even though the UDD had apprehensions about it.

CAN ADARSH SOCIETY GO THE TWIN TOWER WAY?

In 2016, the Bombay High Court ordered the building’s demolition as it violated the rules. However, in 2018, the Supreme Court stayed the demolition after an appeal by the society.

The Indian Army then took over the building pending appeals. Efforts are now on to regularise the building.

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