Mumbai’s civic administration stands accused of enabling a cycle where permissions, violations, and penalties feed into each other—leaving ordinary citizens to bear the cost. Addressed to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, the critique argues that the system is not merely inefficient but structured in a way that monetises its own gaps.
Across neighbourhoods like Tilak Nagar, Ghatkopar, Dadar, and Goregaon, residents of newly redeveloped buildings face a daily struggle: owning a car is legal, but parking it often isn’t. With inadequate parking provisions, many are forced to leave vehicles on the street, only to be fined with clockwork precision. What appears to be enforcement, the report suggests, is in fact a predictable and recurring revenue loop.
The issue extends beyond parking. Numerous buildings in Mumbai continue to function without Occupancy Certificates (OCs), despite being approved, constructed, sold, and inhabited under the full view of authorities. Homebuyers who have paid all dues are later asked to shell out more to regularise their status—raising questions about accountability in the approval process.
This creates a recurring pattern: permissions are granted, compliance remains incomplete, violations emerge, and citizens are charged to resolve them. Over time, this cycle has become normalised, blurring the line between governance and revenue generation.
Meanwhile, inconsistencies on the ground are hard to ignore. Encroachments persist, police vehicles occupy public spaces without penalty, and enforcement appears selectively targeted. The burden falls most heavily on law-abiding, middle-class citizens—those easiest to identify and least equipped to resist.
The article argues that Mumbai’s governance challenge is no longer about isolated lapses but about systemic design. It calls for structural accountability—particularly for decisions made at the planning and approval stages—rather than continued reliance on fines and post-facto regularisation.
Source: Business World
