Naigaon police have registered a case against 10 people for allegedly constructing around 2,000 unauthorised rooms along the upcoming Virar-Alibag Multimodal Corridor and attempting to claim government compensation by falsely presenting themselves as project-affected persons (PAPs).
According to senior police inspector Sanjay Hazare, the accused landowners constructed the semi-permanent brick-and-mortar structures over several months during 2023-24. Each room reportedly measured around 10 feet by 10 feet. The case has been registered under provisions of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966.
The complaint was filed by Yogesh Yashwant Bhoir, 43, an employee of the Vasai tehsildar’s office. He alleged that the construction was undertaken without obtaining the required prior permissions from the Vasai tehsildar.
Following the complaint, the tehsildar conducted an inspection of the site and issued notices and orders to the alleged landowners under Section 53 of the MRTP Act. The notices gave them an opportunity to produce documents supporting the legality of the structures, including approved construction permissions, layout plans and occupancy certificates.
“Since the accused landowners failed to comply with the notice or submit any documents, the 2,000 rooms they had constructed illegally were demolished a week ago,” said Hazare.
Police also alleged that the accused had fabricated documents relating to ownership of the plots. They allegedly used these documents to establish ownership and subsequently represented themselves as people affected by the upcoming infrastructure project in an attempt to obtain compensation from the state government.
The alleged construction is significant because the Virar-Alibag Multimodal Corridor is a major planned connectivity project being developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
The corridor is expected to link parts of Palghar, Thane, Mumbai’s suburban region and Raigad, including areas such as Pen, Chowk and Alibag. Work on the project is expected to begin around March 2027.
The police case and demolition action highlight the scrutiny surrounding land and structures located along the proposed corridor, particularly where construction or claims for project-related compensation are alleged to have been made without valid supporting documents.
Source: Hindustan Times
Pic Credit: Urban Acres
