Retired Judge-Led Committee to Investigate Illegal Constructions in Mumbai Municipal Areas

A committee led by a retired judge will be established to investigate unauthorised constructions in Mumbai's municipal corporation areas, according to State Industries Minister Uday Samant. He informed the legislative council that officials found responsible will face immediate action based on the committee's findings. This decision follows concerns raised by Mumbai-based legislators about widespread illegal constructions.

Shiv Sena UBT MLC Sachin Ahir highlighted that land mafias have encroached on both government and private lands, leading to numerous unauthorised structures across Mumbai. Despite repeated complaints from residents and public representatives to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), no action has been taken, he noted.

Unauthorised Constructions and Alleged Corruption

Ahir accused municipal commissioners, zonal deputy commissioners, designated officers, ward officers, and executive engineers of ignoring illegal constructions. Some officials are allegedly facilitating these activities. He demanded an inquiry through a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or a committee of retired judges. In response, Samant assured that a probe would be conducted by a committee of retired judges.

Opposition MLCs alleged that several areas, including D, E, G-South, H-West, K-West, P-North, P-South, and L wards, have experienced large-scale unauthorised construction on both government and private land. They claimed that the municipal corporation has only issued notices against these illegal structures without taking further action.

Calls for Accountability and Action

Congress member Bhai Jagtap expressed concern over BMC officials working in the same positions for over ten years. He questioned what actions had been taken against those shielding illegal constructions. Minister of State Madhuri Misal admitted that no action had been taken against any officials so far.

Sena UBT's Anil Parab alleged that nearly 150 acres of government land had been encroached upon in P-South and P-North wards by land mafias. He called for action against designated officials responsible for preventing such encroachments. Samant stated that currently, there are 7,951 unauthorised constructions across eight wards, with 1,211 already removed.

Government's Commitment to Addressing the Issue

Legal proceedings are underway against 2,015 constructions. Samant reiterated the government's commitment to addressing the issue seriously. The details of the committee led by a retired judge will be shared soon as part of the efforts to tackle unauthorised constructions in Mumbai.