The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is facing renewed opposition from elected representatives over its proposed drive to demolish unauthorised structures and encroachments measuring 14 feet or more.
During a standing committee meeting on Wednesday, corporators from different political parties questioned the basis for identifying structures for demolition and urged the civic administration to reconsider the proposed action. Several representatives also alleged that they were not consulted before the plan was announced.
The latest disagreement follows criticism surrounding the BMC’s “pedestrian first” policy, under which civic authorities have been removing encroachments from footpaths to restore pedestrian space.
Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator and senior standing committee member Yashodhar Phanse raised a point of order during the meeting.
“Everyone who lives in these 14-feet houses belongs to marginalised communities and has been living here for decades. Many members from the indigenous East Indian Community (Gaothan) also stay in these houses. On what basis are the structures that are going to be demolished being shortlisted? Is it not unfair to the people staying in these shanties for so many decades if their houses are razed overnight,” Yashodhar Phanse, senior Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator and member of the civic body’s standing committee, said.
Ashraf Azmi, a senior Congress corporator and party leader in the BMC, also objected to the process.
“The group leaders from the political parties were not at all consulted before coming up with this contentious proposal. We only came to know about this proposal after it was reported in the media and being people’s representatives, we (corporators) should have been consulted,” Ashraf Azmi, senior Congress corporator and leader of the party in the BMC, said.
The objections follow a letter by BJP corporator and House leader Ganesh Khankar to civic chief Ashwini Bhide, seeking a rollback of the demolition plan. Khankar raised concerns over the socioeconomic consequences and said notices had created an “atmosphere of fear” among affected residents.
The BMC had announced the three-month demolition drive on September 19, targeting 39,111 unauthorised structures, with enforcement scheduled to begin October 1.
The decision followed fatal incidents involving unauthorised housing structures in Kurla and Mankhurd, which intensified scrutiny of construction and safety conditions in vulnerable settlements.
The latest developments indicate that the proposed demolition campaign is now facing questions over its selection criteria, consultation process and potential impact on long-standing residents.
Source: The Indian Express
