Collector stays Mumbai's Press Club renovation

Mumbai, Apr 14 (UNI) Mumbai City District Collectorate has stayed the renovation work at the Press Club of Mumbai, saying it was being carried out without its permission.

The stay order came after a complaint under the Right to Information (RTI) act was filed by former journalist Ketan Modi.

The District Collectorate, in its order , said permission was given to the Press club only for replacement of roof with RCC slabs.

Directing it to stop construction till further orders, the Collectorate asked the Press Club as to why it went for new construction when the permission was granted only for undertaking repairs. It asked the Press Club to seek fresh permission.

When contacted, Press Club General Secretary Gurbir Singh said the Club had not received any notice and it had obtained all required permissions before carrying out the construction. ''There is some construction also going on at the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh.

May be there is some confusion,''he added.

Mr Modi said the Press Club was constructing a ground plus one structure with the permission of the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC's) Building Proposal department , bypassing the District Collectorate which is the custodian of the Azad Maidan property which houses buildings of both the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh and te Press Club. He asked, ''How could BMC by-pass the Collectorate in this manner?'' He said the Collectorate sent the stay notice to the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh as the land belongs to it and Press Club of Mumbai is the occupant.

He said while granting permission last month for replacement of the roof, the Collectorate had asked the Press Club to also take approval from the Chief Architect, Maharashtra and the Building Proposal department of the BMC. However, the BMC's department had already ''illegally'' permitted the Press Club to construct a ground plus one storeyed building in May, 2006, Mr Modi alleged.

UNI