MUMBAI, June 18: The Mira-Bhayander Municipal Council (MBMC) has abruptly stopped its demolition drive since Tuesday with the squad members wrapped up in paperwork. The council is also waiting to be joined by the demolition squads of neighbouring councils before its bulldozers continue their slow crawl over the targeted 149 unauthorised structures in the township.Also, the contract labourers hired for the drive, which was launched on May 4 following a recent Supreme Court order, have not turned up for work, slackening the pace further.
Demolition Officer Chintamani Shinde says: ``There are several administrative proposals to be disposed by our department. Since the drive was launched on May 4, we have not been able to complete our desk jobs,'' he explains.
Shinde says the demolitions will resume as soon as the paperwork is done and an official order is received by the council's chief officer.
Till date, the council has razed 28 of the 149 buildings targeted in both Mira Road and Bhayander. Anindustrial gala was also brought down during which a contract labour was crushed to death.
Senior MBMC officials allege that threats and political pressure from influential persons have also slowed the pace.
Surprisingly, about 100 contract labourers have failed to turn up since Tuesday. They reside in hamlets in Palghar about an hour's journey from Bhayander. Officials say the contractor is also untraceable.
A senior MBMC official said the paperwork is at least keeping officials busy. ``Though it may take more than a month for the new squad to be formed by the collectorate, there is enough work to keep demolition officers glued to their chairs,'' an official said.
With demolitions stalled indefinitely, the target of 149 buildings, set by the council of the total 700 illegal buildings, appears unattainable.
Asked whether their council is stalling for time in order to protect builders, the council's Vice-President, Arun B Kadam, said: ``I think the council, instead of demolishing illegal buildings,must regularise them and give all the necessary permissions. This will save prospective customers from getting cheated by such elements.''
The MBMC's Administrative Officer Ajit Patil says he does not know if the demolitions have been stalled on purpose. He says a structure was razed near Uttan village on Wednesday.
However, when Express Newsline visited the site along with an official connected with the demolitions, the claim did not pan out.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
